Unconditional
by binkeybella
Summary: Series of one-shots/slices of life of Gibbs and company raising an adopted Tony. Kidfic, AU. PREQUEL to "Boys and Their Toys."
1. Acrobat's Daughter

****AN1: Some people asked for both a prequel and a sequel to 'Boys and Their Toys' so I decided to do a series of one shots that includes both a prequel and then whatever plot bunnies run in front of my path. Don't know how many there will be - could be a few, could be thousands, cause they multiply, well, like rabbits.****

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><p>His family was arguing and he didn't know why. His dad, Aunt Kate, Uncle Tim, Abby, even Grandpa Ducky joined in the fray. It bothered him to hear his family argue amongst themselves, they weren't supposed to do that, and it made his tummy feel jumpy and tight. Tony remembered another tense moment that his dad, and many others since, still teased him about - that time at his dad's work a few years ago when everyone had been yelling, including his dad, and Tony had let loose with a liver-jarring wail.<p>

But he couldn't do that now, he was too old, too mature. He was almost five, for crying out loud. So he wracked his over-active brain for a quick solution. Anything to make them all shut up and be civil. Oh, yeah, he thought, his mind suddenly grasping on to an idea, which had seemed to take forever to him, but had really only been about twenty seconds.

_She was an acrobat's daughter..._he crooned as loud as he could out of nowhere.

_She swung by her teeth from a noose._

Some of them quieted, so he went for the big finale.

_Till one matinee, her bridgework gave way and she flew through the air like a goose!_

There was total silence from everyone as the group stared at him, most of them gaping like fish on a hook. Tony froze. Maybe that wasn't as good of an idea as he had thought. He may be facing some serious chair time for this one. He looked up at his dad. Waaayy up. The man was a force to be reckoned with when someone was on the wrong side of him, even Tony himself. Tony's bottom lip started to quiver. He HATED it when it did that.

His dad leaned down to him, the huge hands looming towards Tony's little body. Gibbs scooped the boy up into his arms and plastered him to his chest, and Tony thought he could hear his dad laughing, but he wasn't sure it was him, because someone else was laughing too. Several someones.

"Bubba, where'd you _learn _that?" his dad asked him while tousling his hair.

Okay. He'd called Tony by his nickname sooo...maybe his dad WAS laughing. "Daffy Duck. Last week. On the video Abby bought me."

"Uh huh." his dad replied. "Any _other _goofy songs you have memorized?"

"Yeah, lots. I just figure you really don't wanna hear them."

"Don't be so sure, little man." Gibbs squeezed him tightly, making him squeak. "We just might need another wake-up call somewhere down the road!"

He kissed Tony's cheek and noticed tears in the boy's eyes. And he knew why they were there. "I'm sorry, Bubba." he said softly. "We shouldn't have been doing that in front of you."

"Noo-oo, you SHOULDN'T have!" Tony answered back in a shaky, tear-filled voice. "You're not supposed to be mad at each other and yelling, it -" Tony choked off and clammed up.

"It _what_, Bubba?" his father jostled him, trying to get him to answer. "Tell me."

"It - reminds me of - something I don't -" he heaved a jittery sigh. "I don't remember, but - something bad."

The adults exchanged guilty looks. Gibbs heart and guts twisted together a bit. He, all of them, knew what Tony was talking about even if Tony didn't.

"Okay, Bub, we promise not to do that anymore." He crooked his index finger and nudged errant tears off Tony's little cheeks, then looked around at his crew. They all looked about ready to cry themselves. So did Gibbs. His boy hardly ever cried, was a glass half-full kinda kid, and the fact that they had not only caused it, but dredged up long sunken memories, made him feel queasy.

"Hey." he jostled Tony again, trying to snap him out of his funk. "How about we all go out for pizza and you can sing us some more songs on the way?"

Tony swiped his sleeve across his eyes. They shown like emeralds amongst the tears and the depth of old soul that Gibbs could never quite look at for very long without a shiver going through him. "Aw-awright." he sniffed. "Just don't ever DO that again. It made me hurt-" he pointed to his heart. "Here."

Gibbs hugged the boy close to him and rubbed the back of his head, pressing it to his shoulder. They all heard him clear his throat, saw his bottom jaw working back and forth as he struggled to keep from losing it.

'Come on, Hubba Bubba!" Abby suddenly roared back to life in an effort to break the awful spell. "Let's go get you in your car seat so we can go play that basketball game you like so well!" She pried Tony out of Gibb's arms before either could protest and made off with him, still talking a mile a minute. "You know I bet when you get older you're gonna be a REAL basketball player, all tall and with big muscles."

"Ree -ly? Ya really THINK so, Abs?"

"Oh, I KNOW so, Bubba, so you need to keep practicing and eating your cauliflower."

"But I HATE cauliflower, Abs!"

"I know ya do, Tonester, I was just yankin' yer chain!"

She looked up from buckling Tony into his car seat to see Gibbs across from her on the other side of the car. "Thank you." he signed to her and she signed a "You're welcome" quickly back, a sad smile on her face.

Tony looked over at his dad and gave him a radiant smile. All seemed to be forgiven and Gibb's gut clenched again at the thought that he and his team, Tony's family, had been the cause of Tony unconsciously remembering a painful and dangerous past. Who knew what was really roiling around that action-packed brain of his? Gibbs had been all too happy to go his merry little way ignoring the torment Tony had endured as a baby. What had he been thinking, that if he ignored it, it would just disappear? Human psyches didn't work that way and he knew that all too well himself from experiences in his own past. He would have to be more vigilant about how they behaved around his boy. And troubled past or not, it wasn't right to air their occasional differences of opinions in front of him.

_Yeah_, Gibbs thought, as he got behind the wheel of the Challenger. _Abs was right again_. He remembered three years back, sitting in Ducky's office with an eighteen month old Tony on his lap and Abby sitting next to him.

"He's just a _little _dense" she told his boy, "but he's a fast learner. You'll be teaching him all sorts of stuff, won't you, Bub?" Her words echoed in his head. Gibbs had always been determined it was going to be _him_doing the teaching, dispensing his rules, handing down the sage advice given to him by his own elders. Imparting the wit and wisdom of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Now he heard Shannon's voice and words coming back to taunt him.

"You're a pompous ass sometimes, Leroy."

She only called him Leroy when she was pissed at him. She knew he hated it.

Well, _she_ was right again, too. And he realized once again, that, like all the other important relationships he'd had throughout his life, he wasn't always going to be the one doing the teaching.

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><p><strong>AN2: The ditty Tony sings did come from my favorite Looney Tunes character, Daffy: I heard it a few weeks ago and have been just dying to use it in a fic. This seemed like a good one!<strong>


	2. Surprise Visits and Plastic Pigs

**Author's Note: This takes place a few months after Gibbs gains official custody of Tony.**

**It's dedicated to Velveteen Habit, who gave me the idea through a fabulous one-liner she p.m.'d back to me when we were talking about bringing Mike Franks into the world of "Unconditional". Thanks, VH! And thank you, Bunny, for all your help!**

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><p>Mike Franks was a man of as few words, as his probie Jethro Gibbs, and so he never bothered to call the man to let him know he was flying into D.C. on some old 'company business'. Thought he'd surprise the younger agent, if he could even find him at home when he got there. He knew full well Gibb's penchant for running himself and his team ragged on a case if that's what it took to get it solved and closed. But Franks would be in town a few days at least, there was surely a time that he could meet up with Probie and catch up on old news.<p>

He stepped out of the airport into the chilly D.C. autumn air and shook all the way down to his shoes. Enh, a cigarette would take the bite out of it, he figured, lighting one up while he waited for a cab to take him to his hotel. He didn't miss D.C. even one tiny bit, not the noise, or the cold, and least of all, the politics. But he did miss his old probie, and hoped Jethro could tear himself away from work long enough for at least a steak and some beers. He squashed out the barely-lit cigarette when an available cab pulled up. He piled in with his one and only piece of luggage, a ratty military duffel slung over his shoulder, and tried not to inhale the dozens of untreatable odors emanating from the back of the cab.

While Franks was traversing the clogged streets of downtown D.C., LJ Gibbs was not only NOT at work at the Navy Yard, he was not at work at home, either, even though he was supposed to be hoeing out the clutter in the garage to make room for the clutter that used to be in the guest room. Instead, he was helping build a link-n-log cabin in the middle of his living room while his contractor gave out orders around his nuk.

"Peepa inside, da."

"You want the people inside already? It's not done being built, it still needs a roof!"

"Peepa inside now. Done built."

"Wow. Okay. Glad you're not MY contractor."

Gibbs picked up the squatty toy people and set them inside the four walls.

"Goo', da. Now pig."

"You want the PIG in there, too? Pigs live out in the barn, bud, not in the cabin."

"Pig now."

"Alright," Gibbs obliged in a skeptical voice. "One pig comin' into the cabin. You know, pigs like to roll around in the mud and crud, dontcha? He won't be happy living in a clean house."

"Horse, den. An' cow."

"Wow. I think if I were these people I'd go live in the barn." Gibbs shook his head, but took the pig out and put in the cow and horse.

"NOW woof."

"You want the dog in there, too? That's kind of crowded."

"NO, WOOF!"

"Oh. You want the ROOF on now. Okay, Bubba, hold on, I need to go refill my coffee before I start on that. Don't go anywhere, bud." And Gibbs knew he wouldn't, mainly because he'd erected a sturdy child's gate between the living room and front hallway. He turned on his way to the kitchen to see Tony examining the pig he'd decided to oust from the cabin. It had taken Tony a couple of weeks to not turn into a sobbing wreck when Gibbs had to leave him, whether it was daycare or just another room. His daycare meltdowns were epic. Tony's were infamous, too.

But both had made themselves adjust, mostly for the other's sake. Once Tony realized that Gibbs hadn't truly abandoned him, he learned to wait it out and occupy himself until his return. So now he examined the pink pig for mud while his father fixed a snack for them and a fresh cup of coffee.

Neither heard the front door quietly open as Mike Franks made his way into the house to try to sneak up on his uber-aware ex-partner. Franks first noticed the child gate out of the corner of his eye, and then the child behind it. What. The. Hell. He approached quietly, not wanting to startle the kid still concentrating on the plastic farm animals, and in a moment of nervous confusion, unconsciously took out a cigarette and searched for a match. Tony saw movement out of the corner of HIS eye and looked up to see Franks looming over him. Before he could open his mouth to scream out in terror, Franks beat him to it.

"Where's Probie, kid? Got a light?"

**. . . . .**

The scream from the living room scared Gibbs so badly that he dropped both plateful of food and his coffee in mid-stride. The searing-hot liquid splashed up his pants leg, but he barely registered it, his mind a terrified blank as to what godawful thing could have happened to his son in what he thought was a child-proofed room. He skidded over the broken pieces of china and slippery food, and made it to the living room just before the second shriek ripped out of the boy's throat. Without looking for what was harming him, he snatched Tony off the floor and readied to run him out to the truck to take him to the ER., when he came face to face with his mentor.

"God dammit, Mike, what the hell're you trying to DO, terrify us both to death? Why the hell didn't you KNOCK?"

"Never had to before, and why the hell didn't you WARN me about him?"

"WARN you, he's not a god damned PIT bull, Mike, why would I have to WARN you about him, and why the hell didn't you tell me you were in town?"

"Wanted to SURPRISE ya. Guess I sure as hell did."

Gibbs stopped yelling long enough to feel Tony still quaking in terror. This was going to be a big one, and he wasn't sure if he shouldn't call Ducky to come help him. He tried to calm himself, realizing he was shaking as hard as his son from thinking that Tony was in mortal pain the way he had shrieked. He also realized his legs were literally like jelly and if he didn't sit down right then, he'd drop to his knees with Tony in his arms, so he stumbled back onto the couch and as gently as he could, managed to collapse back into it. Through his haze of fear and confusion he heard Frank's gravel voice, softened to a contrite timbre.

"Sorry, Probie. Yer right, I shoulda called. Never HAD to before."

"Yeah. Okay, hold on, Mike, Bubba's about to go ballistic here, you might wanna - "

"I can handle it!" Mike cut in tersely.

Gibbs nodded with a half smirk and scrunched his own eyes shut. The last time Tony had been subjected to fear and yelling and general mishandling, he had nearly blown out Gibb's eardrum in one shot. He didn't fail to disappoint this time, either, and let loose again at the top of his lungs.

"HOLY Mother of Pearl!" was all Franks could say as he took a shocked step back.

"Easy, baby, it's alright," Gibbs began to soothe in earnest now that the volcano had erupted and let off steam. "He didn't mean to scare you, and we shouldn't have yelled, it's okay, now, sshhh..." Gibbs alternately rubbed and patted Tony's back.

"Is he ALWAYS that loud and uptight?"

"NO, he's not always that loud!" Gibbs shot back defensively. "And he's only ever UPTIGHT when somebody upsets him or scares the CRAP outta him! What the hell were ya thinkin', Mike?"

"Don't know, Jethro, wasn't expecting to walk in here and find a little KID sittin' in your living room! By the time I saw 'im, he'd seen ME, and I didn't dare move or yell for ya or anything cause I didn't wanna SCARE the little guy! He - IS a guy, right, I mean, it's sorta hard to TELL with all those curls and dimples."

"No, Mike, I've just been calling him HE to mess with your head. Easy, kiddo, breathe, take a deep breath, THERE ya go..." Gibbs pressed Tony to his chest to get him to match his breathing, a rubbed circles on his back. He was finally calming to hiccuping sobs.

"Is he yours?"

"Yeah, just not legally yet. Waiting for it to clear the courts."

"Not from an ex or a -"

"You mean did someone drop him off on my doorstep with a note saying 'He's yours, I can't take care of him, good luck.'? No, nothing like that."

"Then whose?"

"Ever heard of Anthony DiNozzo?"

"THE Anthony DiNozzo? Just got nailed for embezzlement and tax fraud along with possible arms dealing?"

"You hear all that down in Mexico?"

"Old friend at the Bureau told me."

"Fornell?"

"Yup. Talked to him a few days ago. Wasn't s'posed to, he was on a conference call with the guy I WAS supposed to be talking to. Told me DiNozzo had been arrested trying to sneak off to Aruba. Didn't give me details, just happened to tell me 'cause I asked him what was going on with him and it was a big deal for his department. So what's the kid got to do with him?"

"He's DiNozzo's son."

"Holy SHIT, Probie, are you NUTS? What the hell you DOIN' with a kid like-"

"You know, Mike, this is exactly why I didn't tell ya about him." Gibbs snatched up a Kleenex and wiped Tony's eyes and nose with it. His voice turned hard and quiet. "You got a problem with my son, you've got a problem with me. You think he's 'tainted' 'cause of who his father is."

"I think you got ISSUES with him you can't BEGIN to understand, if you think all you have to do is sign some papers that say he's YOURS and then ride away into the sunset..."

Gibbs felt Tony starting to quake again. He truly loved the man sitting next to him, owed him his solid start at the agency, owed him his life a couple times over. But he wasn't going to sit there and let the man upset his child, and malign the kid because he had bad luck of being born to an unrepentant criminal who'd made his fortune walking on the backs of others. He made sure to keep his tone of voice pleasant and even, as if they were talking about grilling steaks and not the pedigree of his son.

"Mike, you're a smart man, but you don't know EVERYTHING, and you have no business coming here and saying that stuff about my boy. He is barely two years old, and he is NOT his father! He knows nothing ABOUT the man other than that he broke his arm when he was 11 months old and terrorized him the rest of the time. Now we're going to change the subject, and turn down the decibel level or you're going to leave here and not come back until you can be civil about it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Probie, yer not thinkin' this whole thing through!"

"Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear."

"Yeah, Probie, ya do. I - I guess I'd better head back to the city, got a meeting at 17:00."

"Mike - I don't want this to come between us."

"Then I guess you shoulda thought of that before ya brought 'im home."

"You're asking me to CHOOSE between the TWO of you?"

"I'm askin' you to get yer head outta yer ass and see what yer gettin' yerself INTO!"

"Yeah. Okay. If you really think I'm that naive, then I guess maybe I DO need to make a choice."

"Never said you were naive, Probie. Just think ya got blinders on 'cause you got a chance to replace Kelly."

"I will NEVER be able to replace Kelly, and you KNOW that! Don't you go throwing her in my face, too, she's got nothing to DO with him! Just go back to Mexico, Mike, where the only thing you have to worry about is how low you are on Coronas! Not like the REST of us in the REAL world that have to deal with whether we take a kid in or hand him off to social services and let them stick him in a foster home. TELL me, Mike, you really think he'd have a shot at being adopted with his father's reputation hanging over his head? So he gets fostered his entire life, never in one place for very long cause the system doesn't know what to do with him...how long before he's thrown in juvie, then into the REAL jail system? Don't stand there and lecture me about how WRONG I am when YOU spend your days gettin' drunk on the beach and your nights whoring around town! You have no right!"

Franks had had Gibbs angry at him, for a variety of reasons before this, but never had he seen such unabated fury on the man's face. His eyes blazed with something Franks had only ever imagined being in his own...pure and unadulterated parental rage at not only having his parenting skills and sanity questioned, but his child insulted as well. Gibbs had never before said such hurtful things to him, even in a drunken tirade, but Franks had never ripped open old wounds or poked the papa bear with a really sharp stick. He knew that in his own effort to protect his younger friend, he had stepped well over the line, so he did the only thing he could think of and something he very rarely resorted to. He stepped back over it.

"Yer right, Probie," he offered in a quiet, contrite voice. "I - I don't know the whole picture here, and I shouldn't assume you don't have things under control. Of all the people I know, you woulda had every angle of it scoped out and covered. Just kinda hit me outta left field with his father. Had all kinds of scenarios goin' on my head as to what that man could do to destroy you. Never meant to make it seem like you don't know what you're doing with him. Or that there's somethin' wrong with him."

"Well then, you shoulda thought before you opened yer MOUTH, Mike! Why would you think I didn't have all my bases covered on this, HELL, I even got Trent KORT doing my bidding for me! Got Uncle TOBY keeping a thumb on his father, got Morrow and HIS cohorts keeping his eye on everyone else! There's no one coming AFTER me, Mike, OR him, I made up my mind when I decided to KEEP him that I wasn't gonna live in fear of his father coming back to haunt me! I all but sold my SOUL for him, so you either accept the way things are, or you go back to Mexico and don't set foot through my door again. You KNOW how I FEEL about ya, Mike, but I can't have it, I WON' T have it, not even from YOU. Fought too hard to have him in my life, won't allow ANYBODY to hurt him again, not even with words."

Franks put his hands up in a defensive gesture, while a low chuckle broke out in his throat.

"I think I got the message, Jethro, LOUD AND CLEAR. And God and all his angels help the poor slob who REALLY threatens the kid." He paused for a moment, watching Gibbs smooth his large hand over the tiny head on his shoulder. "So. You think you could round up a cup of coffee for me and I can try to start over on this goatrope of a surprise visit?"

Gibbs eyed the man warily, taking time to read his eyes, then turned and headed for the kitchen.

"No smoking in the house, and no picking on my boy. Second one gets you tossed out of here on the end of my sniper rifle."

Franks closed his eyes and took a deep breath, telling himself he'd damned well better learn to edit himself around his probie now. This wasn't the old days anymore, he didn't get to say the first thing on the end of his tongue and get away with it. His 'Probie' was really no longer that, hadn't been for a long time. He was the leader of the signature NCIS team, and even more importantly, a daddy again. And daddies just didn't allow everything probies had to. This was a new era, for BOTH of them, and Franks would have to make some major adjustments to his brand of thinking. He knew he could, and would, do it, if it meant keeping in the younger man's good graces and consequently, keeping his ex-partner in his life. And maybe it wouldn't be so bad anyways. This Bubba was a cute kid, even if he DID have a shriek that would split an atom. And Jethro was going to need all the help he could GET raising him up and keeping him safe.

Two hours, and 3 cups of coffee later, Mike Franks made his way out to his rental car with the remnants of a sloppy baby kiss on his cheek, and the parting gift of a pink plastic pig in his hand. He drove to his meeting in the city with his head full of ways to get Jethro and his boy to come spend some time with him in Mexico. Seems his Probie wasn't quite as addled as he had first thought when it came to Anthony 'Bubba' Gibbs.


	3. Bear Pit

**Author's Note: Some readers wanted more of a back-story to Tony's past and adoption. I'm going to try to retrace it through a series of flashback type chapters. I'm going to try to retrace it using as Gibbs fights Tony Sr's lawyer to secure his son's finances. **

**Thank you Bunny for beta and support! You so rock!**

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><p>Everyone who knew or had even encountered Leroy Jethro Gibbs knew the man was fierce. He simply refused to suffer fools, criminals, or lawyers gladly, and you just didn't cross him and not have some battle scar to show for it. Anthony DiNozzo Sr.'s attorney found that out the hard way.<p>

It seems that, in the process of sorting out Senior's estate and business affairs after his induction into the FBI's witness protection program, the pompous man had found out that Anthony Jr. held a trust fund in his name, a little nest egg his mother had set aside for him in one of her few lucid, loving moments. Now what would a 20 month old boy need with a million dollar plus trust fund? He had a new parent, and even a new last name, and this new parent wanted his and his son's hands washed of everything and anything DiNozzo.

Senior's (ex) attorney cared not that Tony's mother was a Paddington by birth, and the account was in that name with Tony as the beneficiary at the age of 16, or in the event that he became orphaned. Well, Anthony David Gibbs was neither of those things, so in the attorney's mind, that money was no longer Jr's. It _especially _had no business being used by that sorry excuse for a federal agent who had verbally threatened him during Anthony Jr's adoption proceedings. A quiet threat, made where no one could hear, with no way to prove it had ever been made. But the attorney had not forgotten it, or how his hands kept shaking for an hour afterwards, nearly sloshing the happy hour martinis out of his glass.

So when he found the long-buried document concerning Anthony Jr's small fortune, he gleefully began to formulate a plan. If he didn't have Anthony Sr's wealth to keep him in his accustomed style, he would find a decent home for Anthony Jr's.

**. . . . .**

While Samson J. Miller the Third, ex-attorney of Anthony DiNozzo Sr. deviously plotted his way into Tony Jr's trust fund, Leroy Jethro Gibbs plodded along with his Senior Federal Agent salary, making his mortgage and alimony payments first, utilities, gas and groceries second, and whatever was left over, he worked with. He was a man unaccustomed to wealth, and even if for some reason he acquired it along the way, he wouldn't change much about his lifestyle - maybe pay off his mortgage earlier to save the interest penalties.

But he was a frugal man, and other than basic necessities and a few toys for his son and himself, material objects barely registered on his radar. All that he wanted, he had now, with his new son. Well, not all, but there was no replacing his first wife and child. Instead, he used the memories of them to make new ones with Tony, hoping to recall of Shannon's motherly wisdom, and Kelly's childish joy.

He'd put thoughts of Anthony DiNozzo Sr. far behind him, other than to thank him daily for being greedy enough to get caught and be forced to relinquish his only child. Tony never asked about his biological father, and Gibbs was just fine with that. Every morning when Gibbs helped his son get dressed, and every night when he helped him take his bath, he was reminded of what that monster did to his baby boy. Ducky still had the files and x-rays in his office files, but with or without the pictures as proof, Gibbs would never forget that first night he found Anthony DiNozzo Jr.


	4. Bear Pit, Part 2

**Author's Note: Here is Part 2 of the 'Bear Pit'. Thanks to Bunny for the beta!**

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><p>It was Sunday morning, and things were bustling in the Gibb's kitchen. Tony was tucked into a play pen busy looking through a large, padded picture book, trying to remember how to match up the noises his daddy had put in his head to the animals on the pages. It was all sort of confusing to him, and his little eyebrows and mouth twitched up and down in concentration. In the meantime, his dad was listening to the farm report on the radio and banging pots and pans around making pancakes and an omelet, occasionally interjecting his opinion about high corn prices and low soybean production, adding to his son's confusion. Neither heard the knock at the door at first, then it turned more insistent, and Tony's sharp ears picked it up.<p>

"Door, Da," he said, turning and looking straight at his father, who turned and smiled at him. That was a new word, 'doorda.' _What did he mean by that_, Gibbs wondered. He was about to ask when he heard the knocking himself, and he figured it out.

"Smart boy," he told Tony, tweaking his shoulder as he went by. "I'll be right back, read your book."

Gibbs swung open the door, fairly certain it was one of his team or Ducky come to visit them bringing donuts or coffeecake. It was none of them. He looked out at a man in a casual suit, tie loosened. The man looked a bit spooked, and Gibbs had a momentary urge to run and grab Tony. He didn't know why, and quelled the feeling for the time being.

"May I help you?" he asked, unable to keep the suspicion out of his voice. He couldn't help it, he was a suspicious kind of guy, and it was how he made his living.

"Mr. Gibbs, my name is Jack, Jack Townsend, I work for - well, I used to work for Sampson Miller the Third."

Gibb's bristled at the name. Miller was one of those men that kept the gunny's Rule #13 in force. His voice was a low growl when he answered.

"What the hell does he want? Other than for me to come down to the office and kick his sorry ass back to New York?"

"He - he...doesn't know I'm here." the now frightened man stammered. "He fired me yesterday, I was a junior partner in his firm, but he says he doesn't need any partners anymore."

"And there's a reason I need to _know _that?"

"He's planning something, Mr. Gibbs, I'm not sure what, but this is all after he found an old file on Anthony DiNozzo, Senior."

Now the man had Gibb's attention.

"Would you like to come inside, Mr. Townsend? "

"Uh, no sir, don't really want anyone to know I was here."

He reached inside his suit coat and pulled out an envelope. "I took this when he wasn't around, left a copy in its place. This one has the official seal...it's the legal one; the one he has won't fly, so, when he figures it out, which he will, I need to be somewhere where he can't find me. But I needed to do the right thing first. Too many wrong things have gone on in that office. At least one good thing should come out of it. You'll want to call your own attorney first thing in the morning. I have to go, Mr. Gibbs. I hope everything turns out well for you and your boy."

The man turned and fairly ran to his car before Gibbs could decide whether to run after him or not, so Gibbs shut the door and headed back to the kitchen, his hands shaking ever so slightly as he picked up his coffee mug. _Call Ducky, _he thought, _he'll know what to do._

Barely ten minutes later, Ducky was at the kitchen table, stirring a cup of tea and getting the details of the strange morning visit.

"Did you look at what was in the envelope?"

"Wasn't really sure if I should without some sort of witness present, probably should call an attorney like the guy said."

"Nonsense, it's not like it's going to explode, and I doubt there's anything LETHAL in it. The man's story sounds fairly legitimate, but if you like I can get some gloves from my car."

"Nahh, Duck, I'm just being paranoid." He picked up the blank envelope and peered inside. The paper looked expensive, and a bit yellowed with age. He carefully pulled it out and unfolded it over the table and began to peruse it. Ducky watched in fascination and suspense as Gibb's eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline.

"Jethro, what IS it, should we be worried? Is Anthony not Anthony Senior's son? Tell me!"

"Oh, he's his son, Duck, this is nothing like that." He smirked a little and handed the creased paper over to his friend, whose own brows rose high with surprise.

"Well," the M.E. huffed. " I doubt Anthony Senior knew about THIS, he would have _never _allowed THAT to go on without somehow manipulating it to his advantage."

"I didn't get any details from Mr. Townsend, but I'm thinking his former boss Mr. Miller is planning to retire somewhere warm that has complicated extradition laws. Probably the same place DiNozzo Sr. was headed when Fornell caught him."

"What do you intend to DO about this, Jethro?"

"Oh, I intend to take him down. And hard."

He took a slug of coffee and looked down at the boy jabbering contentedly in the playpen. HIS boy. Sampson Miller the Third was about to get a lesson in poking a papa grizzly with a big stick. Gibbs sat back with his coffee mug and watched Tony play, his mind wandering back to the night he'd found the child.  
><strong><br>***FLASHBACK*****

Gibbs was pissed. He and his team had been working on this case for a solid week, and staking out suspect Anthony DiNozzo's large estate for the past 18 hours from a cramped utility van, monitoring any conversations or suspicious activity. It turned out in the end that, not only was DiNozzo not there, he had no intention of returning in the near future. Gibbs had only agreed to be the NCIS team on the case as a favor to Fornell, and now Fornell and his team had managed to get the right information from the right people, and be down in Chesapeake Bay in time to prevent DiNozzo from stealing away in the night on a chartered yacht. He'd been headed for the Caymens, and while Fornell proudly took the man and his cohorts into custody, Gibbs and his team were left as mop-up crew at the estate, bagging and boxing evidence and any paper trail that might help secure a conviction. He was accused of a multitude of crimes - fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion and if they could find the right evidence, espionage. Gibbs was in the process of labeling some evidence boxes full of papers when Agent McGee ran up behind him.

"Boss, I need you to come here!"

There was a bit of panic in his voice, but Gibbs was hesitant to jump on it. McGee was easily panicked sometimes.

"Why, McGee?" There was a bit of exhaustion in Gibb's voice.

"In the little house, the, the guest house, I think I hear a baby crying!"

"A BABY, McGee? There's no one here, not even the hired help!"

"I _know, _boss, but - I mean, it may just be a cat or something but - maybe we should call an ambulance just in case!"

Gibbs sighed. Better to check it out and be wrong than not and REALLY be wrong. "Call Ducky and stow the gear. I'll get Kate and go check it out." He stowed the box of evidence and searched the artificially lit scene until he located his other agent.

"Agent Todd!" he bellowed across the driveway. "Follow me and bring your camera and an evidence kit!"

"On it boss, be right there." She put away the sketch pad and pencil, tucking it under the seat of the truck and made her way over to her boss. The lighting was atrocious for any decent sketches anyways.

"What's up, Gibbs? I thought all the action was going down in Chesapeake."

"McGee thinks he heard a baby crying in the guest house. We're gonna check it out."

"A _baby _crying? Why would there be a _baby _here, the place is deserted!"

"Yeah, well, anything is possible, Kate. Let's clear it first, like any other scene."

The two agents barely got in the door before their ears were assaulted by a strangled scream. Kate frantically searched the wall for a light switch, but had no idea if or where there was one. Gibbs grabbed his mini l.e.d. flashlight with his left hand, not lowering his weapon yet. "Use your flashlight, Kate, dontcha have it on ya?"

She had just found it and clicked it on as Gibbs growled at her, locating the switch and clicking it on. The sudden light showed a scene that took the breath away from both of them. Holding itself up on an overstuffed chair was a child not much more than a year old, dressed only in a diaper and t-shirt. His face was a mess of tears and snot, and he continued to sob piteously as he clung to the chair cushion.

"Cheezus!" Gibbs cursed, fighting his first instinct to lower his weapon and go comfort the child. "Let's clear the rest of the place first."

"Gibbs, how can you - "

"We don't have any idea who's in this house with us, Agent Todd, I'd rather leave him another 5 minutes than to have us ALL end up dead! The sooner we do our job, the sooner we can get back to the kid."

It took them less than ten minutes to clear the single-story guest house, and neither of them were sure if they were happy it was empty of suspects. That meant that everyone had just fled without thought or care about leaving a baby behind by itself. The realization sickened Gibbs to his core.  
>How long had this kid been wandering around in the dark on its own, terrified and unable to fend for itself?<p>

"Go see if Ducky's here yet, send him in if he is, then stay outside and wait for us."

"Gibbs, I - " she started to protest.

"Do you see how terrified this kid is, Agent Todd? How many people does he need looming over him terrifying him even more?"

"You know it's a he, Gibbs?"

"No, don't really have a clue, Kate, gotta be a 50/50 chance, right? Now quit yackin' and go find Ducky! Tell 'im to bring some blankets and a bottle of water."

"Got it, Gibbs. "

Gibbs waited for her leave before approaching the crying child. He took slow, measured steps, waiting a bit between each one to see how the kid reacted. He realized how large and imposing he must seem to a baby that was not only small, but definitely upset. He crouched down once he got within a few feet of it.

"Hey, buddy." he coaxed in a whispered tone. "What's yer name?"

"Ant - Anthony..." he answered, barely audible.

"Anthony, that's a - that's a..." He was going to say it was a nice name, when he suddenly remembered the name of their prime suspect and the bile rose up in his throat to choke his voice off. The bastard left a BABY behind, by himself, his OWN baby? He had to fight to tamp his rage down enough to keep talking to the boy.

"Anthony, would you mind if I - picked you up and held you, would that make you feel better?"

The boy's shoulders rose into what Gibbs was going to be a shrug, but instead turned into a heart-breaking sob. It broke the man's resistance and he leaned forward and gently scooped the child into his arms, wanting to comfort but not knowing if the child was injured. He could feel tremors rippling through the boy, and turned to search for Ducky, only to find the man standing waiting in the doorway holding a blanket.

"Ohh, Jethro..." he lamented, realizing the child had been left who knew how long to no one's care. He stepped up quietly so as not to startle the boy, and helped Gibbs wrap the blanket around him.

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs cradled his hand behind the child's head, pressing it into his shoulder hoping to instill a measure of safety into the boy. He rubbed his back, shushing him comfortingly, and waited for the worst of the tremors to abate.

"The bastard left him by _himself, _Duck, he took off and..."

"Jethro, not now, you'll only upset him more. He needs you calm now, or he'll never calm down himself."

"We need to check him over and get some water into him, Duck, who the hell knows what happened to him when he was by himself..."

"Yes, well, that may be a bit of a problem, he may not allow either one of us to examine him. We must proceed slowly with him."

"You got your bag with ya, Duck?"

"Sitting by the door."

"Go see if you can find a clean cloth we can use for a diaper, and a roll of duct tape out of the truck."

"Ahh, yes, of course, a good place to start, Jethro, something that he's familiar with."

"Well, yeah, that and he's soppin' WET, Duck, that's GOTTA be uncomfortable for the kid."

"Of course it is, I'll be right back."

"We'll be in the bedroom, Duck, gonna see if there's a washcloth or something left behind to use on his - behind." He retraced his steps to the house's only bathroom and rifled through the linen closet. He not only found a clean washcloth, but a small hand towel, too. "Ah, PERFECT, buddy, we'll have you fixed up in no time!"

He ran the faucet with one hand until the water warmed, and soaked the washcloth, squeezed it out, and swung round to the bedroom.

"Okay, bubba," he announced, trying to distract before the boy knew what he was doing. "We're just gonna- sit ya down -" He started to pull the boy away from him and he started to squall. "Well, THAT didn't work out like I wanted. Okay. How 'bout I sit down with you on my lap and I wash your face and hands up a little? I promise I won't do anything to hurt you, is that okay? Would you let me do that for you?"

Tiny shoulders shrugged again, only this time no crying followed. Well, it wasn't exactly a yes, but it wasn't a 'no', either. Gibbs gave a tug at the dirty t-shirt and gently pulled it off the boy's head. He was a little amazed at the kid's compliance, then realized it was more shock and exhaustion than trust. At the moment, he didn't really care, he just wanted to get the boy cleaned up and some liquid in him, even if it was just water. The shirt popped off and Gibbs threw it on the floor beside the bed.

"There, that'll help things a little." Gibbs soothed as he gently ran the warm washcloth over the boy's face and neck. "How 'bout we take off yer diaper and get a dry one on ya, that can't feel too good on yer butt, can it?" he cajoled, working the sodden thing off as he talked in the child's ear trying to distract him. He flung it on the floor next to the shirt, and pulled the blanket around the boy, hoping to limit any new shivers from being naked and damp,

"All I could find were work rags, Jethro, but I did find some tape, how did YOU make out?" Ducky appeared in the doorway, his old-fashioned doctor's bag in hand.

"We're doin' great, Duck." he answered quietly, rubbing the side of the boy's head. He let me take his shirt and diaper off and wash his face. I found a hand towel I think will work for a diaper."

"Excellent, it would seem you have a way with him, Jethro."

"Yeah, well, I'm thinkin' it's more that he's in shock, Duck, but as long as he'll let us work with him..."

"We'll need to call a social worker in for this, Jethro. Do you know of anyone you'd like to work with?"

"Not off-hand, Duck. Look, let's just get him through tonight, there's no sense in traumatizing him more by passing him off to God knows who."

"Perhaps Tobias knows of some family the boy could go to."

"If they're anything like his ba- like his -father, he goes to them over my dead body."

Ducky studied the man holding the child, choosing his words carefully. He knew Gibbs was exhausted, and his emotions would be closer to the surface because of it.

"Remember your rule number ten, Jethro. Nothing good can come of getting attached to the boy. He'll have to be turned over to social services care, and he may end up on the other side of the country, or world, for that matter."

"Duck, not now."

"I'm only trying to -"

"I know what you're trying to do, Duck, and I appreciate it. Just- let me do this my way, I'll make sure I do what's right for him."

"I'm sure you will, Jethro. Just make sure you do what's right for yourself, too."


	5. Bear Pit, Part 3

**AN: Thanks for everyone's reviews and pm's; thank you Bunny for the beta!**

* * *

><p>Gibbs was just tearing off the last piece of duct tape to bind the sides of Tony's make-shift towel diaper when his cell rang.<p>

"Ahh, hell!" he grumbled, fumbling for the offending piece of technology. "Gibbs, WHAT?" he shouted, holding the phone between shoulder and ear as he fastened the towel ends together.

"Jethro, you're not happy!" Fornell crowed at the other end. "We got him, it's gonna-"

"Whataya want, Tobias?"

Fornell finally bought a clue. "What's going ON there, Jethro?"

"Well, Tobias, it seems in the little _mop- up _operation you left us to, there's a little more mopping up than you thought!"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that son-of-a-bih...that MAN you have in custody left behind a little more than a paper trail!"

"Is somebody hurt, was there still a suspect-"

"He left his BABY behind here, Fornell, like a - 12 month old baby! Alone! In the guest house!"

"It's - alive, right, I mean - he didn't-"

"IT is a HE, Tobias and yes, HE is alive."

Gibbs rewrapped the blanket around the boy papoose-style, and easily slung him up onto his free shoulder, unconsciously rocking him gently.

"Is he okay?"

"Don't know, haven't had enough time to check him out, just got done changing out his sopping wet diaper for a hand towel and duct tape. And he damned well BETTER be okay, Toby, or I'm comin' down to headquarters MYSELF, and it ain't gonna be pretty!"

"He's in protective custody, Jethro, though I can't blame you for thinking about it!"

"Don't think THAT'S gonna stop me, I'll get to him if I decide to. Whatcha calling me for, other than to gloat?"

"Not gloating, Jethro, you guys get credit for this right along with us."

"Right, Tobias. Didn't answer my question."

"Just wanted to let you know he's willing to turn state's evidence against his backers, we're bringing down more than we thought with this bust."

"Yeah, yer not kidding me, Tobias. Look, I gotta get some liquids into this kid before he passes out, soon as I do, I'm taking him back to the Yard and having Ducky check him over in autopsy."

"You're not turning him over to DSS?"

"Not yet, he's too scared and I don't know what's going on with him enough to turn him over."

"Jethro..."

"HEY, Tobias! I don't wanna HEAR it, you don't like what I'm doing, take it up with my director, otherwise, you know where I'll be."

"Yeah, whatever, Jethro, it's yer call."

"Damn RIGHT it is, Tobias, seein' as how I'm HERE and you're THERE! That it?"

"Yeah, Jethro, that's it. I'll stop by when I'm done here."

"You DO that, Tobias and bring along some coffee and diapers."

Gibbs let the phone drop onto the bed still open, and turned to Ducky.

"How're we gonna get some water into him, Duck?"

"Well, juice or milk would probably be better, but considering the circumstances... he may be able to drink some water out of a small cup."

"There were some paper cups in the bathroom, I'll -"

"No, you go out and sit with him, Jethro, he seems to be calming considerably."

"Yeah, well, his butt isn't sitting in cold PEE anymore, that might have something to do with it."

"I brought some bottled water from the truck, it should be better for him than from the tap. I also sent Caitlyn out to search for some clothes for him. I'm not sure what she'll find this time of night."

"Alright, we pretty much finished processing the scene, McGee can stay behind and help tie up any loose ends. Let's see if we can get some water in him and then head back to the Yard."

Gibbs sat down carefully in the chair they had first found Tony clinging to when he and Kate had burst through the door, and flipped the blanket off the boy's head. His heart gave a lurch when he looked down at him - his eyes were closed and he seemed to be barely breathing.

"Duck -ee!" he yelled, his voice rising in panic.

The M.E. flew out of the bathroom, sloshing the cup of water on the way.

"Jethro, what IS it?"

Gibbs felt the boy jump an inch when he yelled for the M.E. and looked down at him again. The kid's eyes were open now, WIDE open, in shock. The man holding him knew what was coming and took evasive action."

"No no, it's alright, baby, I didn't mean to scare ya, I thought you-" He sighed, catching his breath as he rubbed the boy's back and head. "Sorry, bubba. I'm not very GOOD at this, am I? Sorry, ssshhh, it's alright."

To his complete surprise, the child settled back against his chest with a sigh and pulled a little arm out from between them to access his thumb.

"Aahhh, THERE ya go, buddy, that's a good idea." He rubbed the back of the boy's head again and sleepy eyes slid closed. Gibbs snugged the blanket tighter around him and without conscious thought, kissed the top of his head. Even sweaty and hot, the kid smelled sweet, reminding him sharply of another baby he used to hold just like this. He sighed heavily to himself and realized someone was standing next to him.

"Perhaps we can wait until we get back to the Navy Yard." Ducky suggested quietly. "By then Caitlyn will have some supplies and he'll have had a bit of a nap."

"You mind driving my car, Duck? I'll have someone bring you back to get your car in the morning, there'll still be some LEOS here during the night."

"No need, I came by way of one of the other agents, so that works out just fine. Here, hand him to me while you stand and -"

Gibbs tried handing the boy over and felt little fingers clamp sharply onto his shirt. And chest hair. He grimaced in pain and stopped the hand-over.

"Uh, Duck, he's not gonna let ya take him.  
>Just - give my arm a pull and get me started."<p>

Ducky obeyed and between them the senior agent made it to his feet without rousing the boy from his exhausted sleep.

When they arrived at the Navy Yard, there was only a skeleton crew of personnel to watch in shock as the M.E. and MCRT leader strode through the building with their precious cargo. Word had already spread through the Yard that the hardened senior agent had not only discovered a child at the suspect's estate, but had yet to pass him on to more accommodating hands. That the man was not only a menace to society but also proud of it, was legend. That he would willingly accept the care of a baby was inconceivable. And yet, there he was, proof positive, as he marched into the MTAC bullpen with a small bundle in his arms.

He ignored the low buzz of gossiping security guards and fellow agents and concentrated on finding his second in command, Agent Todd.  
>She wasn't at her desk, but on his own workspace were several bags line up, and he peered into them as he adjusted a restless Tony in his arms.<p>

"Good job, Kate." he murmured to himself. He reached for his phone to call her and suddenly remembered he'd left it on the bed of the guest house. "Ahhh, crap." Well, he'd just have to call McGee from the office phone. But first he needed coffee, as large a cup as he could get his hands on. He couldn't even think of when he'd had his last cup. He'd been about to send McGee for some when the young agent notified him of the crying coming from the guest house. He'd have to give the junior agent a bonus for that call. Right after he got a couple of cups of coffee.

He pulled his chair out from his desk and carefully deposited himself and his bundle, which hadn't stirred since they'd gotten in the car to come to the Navy Yard. He searched his desk with his left hand, looking for his glasses, and felt, rather than heard someone standing in front of him.

"Whataya still doin' here, Abs, and keep it down, I wanna have Ducky x-ray him while he's sleeping."

"Can I see him, Gibbs?"

"Abs, I'm NOT waking him up now! And he's not a damned -" The boy stirred as Gibb's voice rose, and Abby had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Gibbs calmed.

"You gonna keep him?"

"He's not a PUPPY, Abs. We need to call Social Services in the morning."

"Tomorrow's Saturday, Gibbs."

Gibbs held his hand up to her.

"Abs - do me a favor and go through these bags, find him a diaper and a sleeper. Then take one of the bottles in there, sterilize it and put some juice in it for him. Meet me down in autopsy.

She saluted him and grabbed the bags. He ignored her as he searched his desk drawer and came up with a little black book.

It was almost midnight when Gibbs strode into autopsy with the still-sleeping child. Ducky was waiting to greet them with a weary smile, and two cups of Gibb's favored coffee. The aroma hit the Gunny's nostrils like nectar to a bee and his first instinct was to veer over to Ducky's desk and down both of them.

"Where's the best place for him, Duck?"

"Right here, Jethro. I have a table all set up for him."

"Good. Abby's getting a bottle ready for him for when he wakes up, Kate got him some clothes and diapers."

"Lay him right in the middle of it. Yes, like that."

Gibbs gently laid the boy on the table and pulled the blanket back around him.

"We need to remove the blanket for the x-ray, Jethro."

"But he's-cold, Duck."

"It will only take a few minutes to x-ray this little lad."

Ducky swung the x-ray machine over the table and motioned Gibbs away from him.

"Come, Jethro, only one of us allowed for the x-ray, you wait over there or put on one of these lead vests."

"What if he wakes up while -"

Ducky had to bite his bottom lip to keep from chuckling at the poor man.

"He'll be fine, Jethro."

"He'll be terrified, Duck, I can't-"

Ducky put a patient hand around Gibb's forearm.

"Jethro. He - will - be - fine. Stand right there and drink the coffee I brought you before -" he pushed a button and the machine hummed "it gets cold."

"Duck, I don't want-"

"Really, Jethro, you're trying to tell me you didn't salivate -" He pushed another button. "Like Pavlov's dogs the second you walked in here."

"Duck."

"Jethro, drink - the damned - coffee."

Gibb's head snapped back. Ducky SWORE at him? He stalked to the desk and grabbed up one of the tall Styrofoam cups of mostly hot liquid and gulped down half of it, while his eyes fixed a steely glare into the back of the M.E.'s head.

"That does NOT work on me, Jethro." Ducky informed him without looking away from his work. Gibbs huffed and downed the rest of the cup. "You may cover him back up now."

"Yer done?"

"I told you it would take only a few minutes. Abigail is waiting outside with his things. While he's sleeping I'm going to take his temperature and give him a general exam. You should try to find his medical records and eventually have him see a pediatrician." He turned from putting away the x-ray machine to see his friend tenderly smoothing a hand over the little boy's head.

"He still feels warm, Ducky."

"Jethro, tell Abigail she may join us before she discombobulates. "

Gibbs looked up to see a frantic Abby on the other side of the autopsy door and waved her in.

"Quiet, Abs, he's still sleeping."

She tip-toed up to them with a bag in hand and peered down at the child.

"Awww. Gibbs," she whined sotto voce. "He's precious! Yer not gonna turn him over to total strangers, are you?"

"Abs, I already told you - "

She stomped her foot and grunted.

"Here. There's a onesie pj in there, some socks, a clean -" She looked down at Gibbs' towel and duct tape. "A REAL diaper and two bottles, one with water and one with juice. I thought he might need more than one."

"What's his temperature, Duck?"

"Ninety-nine point one. A little higher than normal, but we'll monitor it for now, it may recede once he has some liquids in him."

"There a nuk in there for him, Abs?"

"A binky? Of course, Gibbs, Kate bought three of them in case you lost one."

"Do me a favor, Abs, call McGee and ask him to do a background search on Tony here, and get his medical records. Tell him to hack into whatever he needs to, to get them."

"Where's he gonna go tonight, Gibbs?"

"Comin' home with ME, Abs, not leavin' him sleeping on an autopsy table."

"Got it." She snuck a look over at Ducky and winked at the man. The M.E. winked back.


	6. Bear Pit, Part 4

**Thank you, Bunny, for the beta and support, you're awwwwwsome!**

* * *

><p>Tony awoke with a startled cry, as if he knew there were three people standing over him, peering down at him. He was immediately scooped up and a bottle stuck in his mouth, which he sucked down like oxygen itself. Gibbs gave him a squeeze and chuckled.<p>

"Slow down, there, Bubby, you're gonna choke on it!"

"How long do you think he was left by himself?"

"Not a clue, Abs," Gibbs answered quietly. "Still not sure what went down there, we're trying to locate anyone who worked for the ba-" Once again Gibbs corrected himself. "Guy."

"Maybe no one knew he got left behind! I mean, maybe his father thought his nanny had him and his nanny thought he was with his father."

"Don't care, Abs, rule #8."

"Never take anything for granted," she quoted the rule. "Poor baby. He must've been so scared..." She stroked a finger over his cheek while he sucked on the bottle. "You don't need to be scared anymore, baby boy, you're in good hands with Gibbs and Ducky and me. Wow, baby, look at you, you're almost empty already!"

She reached for the other bottle and Gibbs stayed her hand. "Nope, Abs, let him work on this one first, he'll just end up puking it up if you give him more now. Hand me one of those diapers instead, he'll be needing it in a few minutes." He tried to lay the boy back down on the table with no luck. The kid nearly shrieked as soon as Gibb's hands left him.

"Ohh, baby, it's okay!" Abby soothed. "We're just trying to get that silly thing off your butt, it's _gotta _be scratchy."

"It's all I had to work with at the time, Abs." MacGyver

"And a fine piece of MacGyvering if I ever saw one, Gibbs, but it ain't a diaper." She worked at peeling the towel off and replacing it with a disposable one, then patted his butt. "There ya go, bubby, all set! I'm gonna go find McGee, he should be here by now."

"Tell him I'll be up there ASAP, Abs." Gibbs called after her. He was in the process of trying to get the zip-up onesie pj onto the boy without putting him down. "Duck, could you.."

Ducky turned from his work to see Gibbs struggling. "Ahh, yes, a bit of a challenge, I see. " He hurried over to assist.

"He's awfully clingy for a kid who's never even _seen _me, Duck. He let me come right UP to him and pick him up back at the guest house."

"Yes, well, I'd hazard a guess he got handed around amongst the staff members, if his father was too busy to take care of him."

"Or unwilling." Gibbs added sourly.

"Yes. Probably both, unfortunately." Ducky gently rubbed Tony's back as Gibbs zipped up the onesie. Gibbs stood the boy on the metal table, making sure to keep a tight grip on him for safety and security. "There ya go, bub. Nice and cozy now. " He rooted around in the diaper bag and found a new nuk and handed it to Ducky. '"Think you could sterilize this for me somehow?"

"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem, Jethro, I'll be back in a flash."

Gibbs looked into still-sleepy green eyes, and was startled at the level of trust he saw in them. A little fist snaked up to the child's mouth and a thumb popped in and sucked. "Yeah, that probably tastes pretty good right now, hunh, little man? You have a good nap, you look ready to head back to la la land any second now."

Tony's other hand reached out and patted Gibb's face. Then the kid grinned at him around his thumb. _Rule #10, Jethro..._Gibbs ground out between gritted teeth and then smiled back. The kid laughed. Gibbs felt his knees get a little jellified.

"Here you are, Jethro." Ducky went to hand the sterilized nuk to his friend and saw the strange look in the man's eyes. "Jethro..." he admonished, his tone a warning one.

"Can't help it, Duck, he's -"

"What are you going to do when you have to give him back to his family? Surely he has SOME relative who wants him."

"I -" Gibbs swallowed hard. "I'll - cross that bridge when I need to, Duck."

"Perhaps he should stay with me for the night. No need to make that bridge any more treacherous to cross than it already is."

"Duck, I -' Gibbs looked into the little face in front of him and did some quick thinking. The odds were that indeed some family member would want to take the boy. And he would have to turn and walk away, forget this night ever happened, and he didn't think he was strong enough yet, not after losing his girls...  
>Ducky saw the man's shoulders sag. "Yeah, Duck." His voice was barely audible. "Maybe that's - maybe you should." He cleared his throat. "How does <em>that <em>sound, Bubba, you wanna go home with Ducky, he'll take really good care of you and you can - "

The boy's eyes started to water. He seemed to understand his new friends' plans all too well. Gibbs watched helplessly as they spilled over with tears.

"Duck, I made him cry..."

"Jethro, for goodness sakes, you KNOW what you need to DO. This can only end -"

"I'm gonna see how McGee's doing," Gibbs snapped, grabbing Tony off the table and slinging him over his hip. He snatched up the diaper bag and fairly stormed out of autopsy, leaving Ducky shaking his head in dismay.


	7. Bear Pit, Part 5

"Whatcha got for me, McGee?" Gibbs yelled as he strode into the MCRT bullpen out of nowhere. McGee did a double-take when he looked up from his computer. His boss was toting a baby around on his hip like he was an old pro. What was _wrong _with this picture, and where was Kate to see it and confirm he wasn't delusional? The baby looked content. Happy even. With _Gibbs? Nobody _looked happy around Gibbs, except maybe Abby.

"I uh- got his medical records, I faxed them down to Ducky just now, but - I can't find any info on relatives, other than that his mother's dead and his father was an only child. The kid's mother was originally from England, but I'm not hearing back from anyone I contacted yet. It's only like -" he checked his watch "Six o'clock in the morning there."

"Mmmfff." Gibbs grunted and sat down at his desk with the boy still firmly attached to him. McGee stared in awe as the binky-sucking child played with the boss's cell phone. "Thanks for grabbing my phone, McGee, forgot all about it."

"No problem. Uummm, boss... aren't you afraid he's gonna call Singapore or something?"

"Ehh, let 'im, they won't understand what he's sayin'."

"What's his name?"

"Tony. But he prefers Bubba." Gibbs slipped his readers on and flipped open the folder McGee had left on his desk. "Not too much to work with, McGee."

"I know, Boss, but..."

Gibbs looked up to see what had interrupted his junior agent mid-sentence only to find Fornell staring down at him with a highly amused look on his face.

"You got something worthwhile to contribute, Tobias?"

Before Fornell could answer, Tony grabbed Gibb's glasses off the man's face and readied to toss them back on his desk. "Hey you!" Gibbs scolded, grabbing them just in time. "I NEED them, don't be flinging them around." He set them out of reach and searched for a more suitable toy. Fornell plunked a bag down on the desk and pulled out a plush blue rabbit stuffie.

"Try THIS on him, Jethro."

"Well, look at THAT, Bubba, SOMEBODY was thinking about something other than your stomach!" He took the toy from Fornell and handed it to a wide-eyed Tony, who hugged it close to him and jumped up and down with glee. Gibbs laughed at his simple joy and looked up at the FBI agent. "Thanks, Tobias, looks like he really likes it! We've been a little scattered around here, weren't exactly expecting to be babysitting a little kid tonight."

"I got one just like it for Emmy when she was little."

"Can you tell me anything about the kid's family?"

"His father doesn't have any siblings, we were never able to trace or track down any cousins or aunts or uncles. The man's a bit of a mystery; we have no record of the kid's grandparents. Maybe they're still in Italy, sometimes it's next to impossible to find people in the old country. Especially if they don't wanna be found."

"You think DiNozzo Sr. is connected?"

"Well, nobody knows where he got his start-up money for his business, and it was a boat-load at the time. What about Tony's mother?"

"Dead. Supposed suicide. Medical report linked it to post-partum depression left untreated. McGee's trying to contact her family, guess most of them are in England."

"It's barely six o'clock, there, Gibbs. Better to go home and start again in the morning."

"I intend to, Tobias, just need to get a few things wrapped up here."

"Brought you some coffee, still want it?"

"Gimme. Only had one cup the last few hours."

"Want me to hold him while you drink it?"

"I can manage, Tobias, thanks."

"Yeah, sure," Fornell said casually, but Gibbs heard the disappointment in the man's voice.

"He's kind of skittish, Tobias, he's been through a lot and just woke up."

"Yeah, sure, I understand." Fornell fidgeted with his own coffee cup. "He seems to really like ya, Jethro, that's-"

"Don't go there, Tobias."

"I was GOING to say, it's a good thing he has somebody he's comfortable with, it had to be hell for him being left alone like that."

Gibbs didn't miss the way Fornell had unconsciously moved to the side of the desk, closer to them. He knew how much the Feebie missed his little girl between custody visits, how she eased the pain of often torturous caseloads and took some of the grimness from his life.

"Go ahead, Tobias, you can hold him, but don't get yer feelings hurt if he won't let you."

"Thanks, Jethro. I just - I feel kind of responsible for him being abandoned like that." He reached out for the boy, and Gibbs held Tony out for him to take, ready to snatch him back at the slightest whimper. "Come on, big guy, come see Tobias," Fornell coaxed, carefully taking the child into his arms. He and Gibbs exchanged surprised looks when the kid didn't protest. "There ya go, kiddo!" Fornell grinned as he adjusted Tony in his grip. "What a _good boy _you are, Anthony! You like that rabbit, hunh?"

He shook the fuzzy toy in Tony's face, making him giggle. "You think it's funny, hunh?" Fornell walked away with him, causing Gibbs to watch him with raised eyebrows. McGee had joined Gibbs with his utterly surprised stare, but Fornell ignored them both, walking the floor with the boy and crooning to him. Gibbs shrugged his shoulders and put his eyes back down to the papers in front of him. He heard McGee make a noise like a poorly disguised sigh. The young man had to be exhausted.

"McGee, print off what ya got left, and go home. Be back here at 0:900."

"Got it, boss. I left phone numbers with his family in England, including your cell, is that okay? Figured you'd wanna know ASAP."

"That's fine."

"Info is coming through on your printer, boss," he told him, grabbing up his pack and powering down his computer.

"Got it. G'night, McGee. And McGee..."

"Yeah, boss?"

"Good work tonight." Gibbs looked the young agent in the eye, then tossed a look over to Fornell and Tony. McGee got the message and smiled tiredly.

"Thanks, boss. He shouldn't have been there in the first place, I just can't- it's hard to think about how scared he must've been."

"I know, McGee." Gibbs acknowledged quietly. "Even shook ME up. But he's getting over it, and he should be fine now. Go on, get some shut eye. I'll finish up here."

McGee nodded and headed to the elevator, but not before stopping and giving his 'reminder of a job-well-done' a tousle on the head. Gibbs waited for him to step into the elevator before he spoke to Fornell.

"He look eighteen months to you, Tobias?"

"Eighteen months? Jethro, I haven't been around kids enough to know their sizes - you KNOW he's eighteen months?"

"Got a copy of his birth certificate here. July eighth, 2001. To Anthony and Sarah Paddington-DiNozzo. Looks legit. No reason for it not to be. He just seems small to me. Ahh, maybe Ducky can explain, Kelly was..." Gibbs cleared his throat, and Fornell looked away. Even though his own daughter was still alive and well, he knew the loss of her through his and Diane's acrimonious divorce. Saw her once or twice a week for a few hours, IF he was lucky. He couldn't imagine Gibb's loss. It was complete, permanent, and horribly painful, and it all showed in his eyes whenever he spoke her name.

"Kelly was bigger, I think, but..." Gibbs shrugged, and scraped a weary hand over his face. "Enh, it doesn't matter, Duck can fill me in on it in the morning. He looked him over just now, didn't find anything major or he would've told me." Gibbs looked at his watch and heaved a sigh. "We're done here for the night, Tobias, you wanna spoil 'im, you gotta come by my place in the morning. I'm hanging out there till I hear from Morrow about what I'm supposed to do with him."

"You'd actually hand him over to strangers, Jethro?"

"Might not have a choice, Tobias. Not gonna think about it tonight. Come on, walk out to my car with me, I'll bring his diaper bag."

"Where the hell is Todd, I figured she be here turning her work space into a daycare center."

"Haven't seen her since we busted into the guest house and made Bubba scream at us. Not something I ever wanna repeat, by the way. But if I know her, she's down in Abby's lab with both of them digging up as much crap as they can on the kid."

"Could be worse, Jethro, neither one could GIVE a damn about him."

They stepped into the elevator as casually as if they were carrying evidence down to the case file room. All that could be heard was the hum of the elevator and the sucking sounds of Tony's mouth around his nuk. He was still playing with the blue stuffie, inspecting it top to bottom and front to back. Gibbs reached over and pulled the blanket around his shoulders and tweeked his cheek, smiling at him. Tony giggled back. Both men let out a loud sigh. Both knew they were thinking the same damned thing.


	8. Bear Pit, Part 6

A phone was ringing. A baby was crying. Phone. Ringing. Baby? Crying? What the _hell? _Gibbs forced himself awake and tried to decide what to do first. He put what he hoped was a comforting hand on the boy next to him and snapped open his cell. What the hell _time _was it anyways, he wondered, squinting into the dark.

"Gibbs!" he barked into the phone, and felt the little body flinch. "Sorry, Bubba."

"What? This is NOT Bubba!" an imperious voice with a British accent informed him from the other end of the line. "My name is David Carey-Niles, I'm calling about the child."

Gibbs sat up, fully awake now, trying not to jostle Tony in the process. "Yeah, right. Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I'm trying to find any relatives of-"

"Anthony DiNozzo Junior, yes, I know. How OLD is the child?"

"The CHILD," Gibbs ground out, "is eighteen months. Why?"

"Curiosity. We knew nothing about his birth. His mother, Sarah, cut herself off from us when she married Anthony DiNozzo. We didn't approve of him."

Tony started to whimper again, and Gibbs reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. "Hold on, Mr... Niles, I have to grab Bubba here."

"Bubba? That can't POSSIBLY be his given name."

Gibbs ignored the voice and gently pulled Tony up to his chest. The boy was still half-asleep, and Gibbs hoped he could lull him the rest of the way back.

"So what is it yer calling to tell me?" Gibbs asked abruptly.

"I'm calling to TELL you that my family and I held an impromptu meeting this morning in regards to - Bubba. We were not FOND of his father, he turned my cousin against us all, even her own brother. He was arrogant, selfish, and - "

"Get to the point, please, I'm holding onto a soggy diaper."

"My POINT is, sir, that none of us are interested in being guardian to a child of that man. Most of us are too old to be starting down that path anyways. We're having our solicitor draw up a legal document absolving us of any and all responsibilities for the child. I'm sorry, but he'll just have to be made a ward of the state if there's no one on his father's side to take him. He will fax it to the attorney of your choice, and then send the official documents by overnight mail."

Gibbs was stunned into silence. They sure were in a hurry to be done with the kid. Just like _that, _without even seeing or knowing anything about him, his own blood was tossing him to the wolves.

"Mr. Gibbs? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, Mr. Niles, I'm here. Just hard to believe you'd write off your own flesh and blood like that."

"Yes, I suppose it _does _sound inordinately cold of us, but he would not be - _appreciated _- here. Surely there are hundreds of couples who - "

"Yeah, I GOT it, Davey," Gibbs cut him off. "I'll get back to you on the attorney's fax number."

He flipped the phone shut, not really hearing the befuddled muttering at the other end. He sat back against the headboard and smoothed his hand up and down Tony's back, taking a deep, calming breath. This changed everything. Provided no one materialized out of thin air from the DiNozzo clan, Gibbs had decision to make. He knew he could call in enough markers to make the process fast and mostly painless. But just because he _could _didn't necessarily mean he _should. _  
><em><br>_"Aahh, hell , I can't be any worse than half the other parents out there," he mumbled to himself.

Tony stirred at his voice and groggily searched for his thumb. Gibbs reached over and grabbed the nuk off the nightstand and popped it in his mouth, and droopy eyes closed to green slits. He carefully eased out of the bed and pulled up the diaper bag he'd stowed nearby, yanking out a diaper and wet wash. The placid child let him change him and put on a clean onesie pj without protest. He scooped him up and laid him in the middle of the bed, surrounded him with pillows to prevent him from rolling, and went into the en suite bathroom, shutting the door part way. He had some phone calls to make.

**. . . . .**

"Gibbs, what the HELL, it's - six o'clock in the freakin' morning, a SATURDAY morning!" Fornell sat straight up in his bed. "Wait-everything okay?" he asked, after clearing his head a bit.

"Everything's fine, Tobias. You always this grouchy on a Saturday morning?"

"Pot, kettle, black, Jethro. What's going on?"

"Got a call from Tony's family in England."

"And?" he asked hesitantly.

"And, they don't want anything to DO with him." Gibb's voice was low and dark.

"But that's GOOD, right? I mean, you were - I mean, you never SAID it but you were _hoping _  
>they didn't want him. Weren't you?"<p>

"Yeah, Tobias, I - I was, I just - who doesn't want their own _family, _Tobias? Who just - throws that _away , _throws HIM away? Like they're tossing out an old shoe?"

"Someone who hasn't lost like we have, Jethro. Just be glad you - don't have to walk away from him. How's he BEEN, anyways?"

"Great. Still sleeping."

"Must've been wrung-out from all that crying when he was by himself."

"Yeah." Gibbs agreed, then quickly moved on. He didn't like imagining Tony wandering around that guest house looking for someone, _anyone. _"Look, I need you to keep this quiet for now, I don't want anybody knowing until I get the ball rolling and be pretty sure that it's gonna work out."

"Yeah, I understand, Jethro. What can I do to help?"

Gibbs grinned into the phone. Most people who saw them go toe to toe just assumed that he and Fornell were always at odds. In truth, Fornell was one of the best friends he'd ever had. They related to each other, understood each other on a deeper level than most. But it wouldn't do to have the Feebie and the notorious MCRT lead having tea and crumpets together, or even a beer. At least not in public.

"Need you to grill DiNozzo Senior for me, Tobias. Make sure he hasn't got any surprises up his sleeve. Just cause he left the kid to - to his own devices, doesn't mean he won't use him as a means to an end. You STOMP on him, Tobias, make it VERY CLEAR just how much more complicated his life will get if he gets in my way."

Fornell chuckled over the phone. "You GOT it, Papa Bear. I'll pay him a visit as soon as the lockup's open for visitors. So when you plan on telling them?"

"Don't know. Just depends on how far I get this weekend."

"Yer gonna need help turning the guest room into a nursery."

Gibbs swallowed hard at those words, and cleared his throat. "Yeah. Come by after you shake down Senior. Bring some lunch, don't have much here."

"That's gonna have to change in short order, Jethro."

"Tell me about it. Gotta go see what I can rustle up for us for breakfast. See you later, Tobias."


	9. Bear Pit, Part 7

**Author's Notes: Thanks to all who read and review. Thanks to my great beta and bud Bunny.**

***Someone asked what ep. Gibbs called Tony 'Bubba'. I believe it was in the first season ep. 'Hung Out to Dry' (the one where Tony gets tossed out of the plane)**

***Some readers commented about how cruel Tony's British relatives were. I honestly wasn't trying for that, just needed to establish how much they detested Dinozzo Sr., and that they really weren't ready to have an 18 month old foisted on them from out of the blue. Needed a reason that they wouldn't try to take Tony back once Gibbs had started to adopt him. Not trying to offend Brits, love Britain, been there twice!**

**PS - I'm trying to clear up any inconsistencies in the story as I go. I've had a bit of a time with it, as the orig. story, 'Boys and their Toys' was just supposed to be a one-shot, then 'Unconditional' became a requested prequel, and then I went backwards WITHIN the prequel. Yes, it confuses me, too. So 'Bear' with me, luckily it's just fluffy fanfic, not a Master's Thesis!**

* * *

><p>Fornell arrived three hours after he talked to Gibbs, bags of groceries in both hands, and headed straight for the kitchen with them. He was stopped in his tracks by the sight that greeted him. Gibbs was at the sink stacking clean dishes into a strainer, while Tony sat on phone books piled onto a kitchen chair. One of Gibb's leather belts was securing him around the chair.<p>

"Coulda brought Em's old highchair for him, Jethro."

"Didn't think of it till you were already gone. He's fine."

Fornell set the bags on the counter and went to Tony. The boy was shoveling handfuls of cooked oatmeal into his mouth from a plastic bowl. Fornell wasn't sure if there was more on the kid's face and in his hair than there was in his stomach.

"He really LIKES that, Jethro?"

"He's STARVING, Tobias, who the hell KNOWS when he ate last, all he's had since we found him was a bottle of juice and one of water. I talked to Ducky this morning, he says he's underweight, that's why he's small for eighteen months. Says he'll probably catch back up eventually with the right diet."

"That's great. Anything else?"

Gibbs was silent. He really didn't want to get into the rest of the details with Fornell at the moment.

"Jethro? Was there anything else he found?"

"Running a slight fever, figures it's from teething or maybe the start of an ear infection." Well, he hadn't lied, he just hadn't told all of the truth.

"Where's his rabbit?"

"You really want 'im playing with it with those hands, Tobias? What'd ya bring for groceries?"

"Bread, cold cuts, steaks, salad stuff, fruit, chips."

"Anything for Bubba?"

"Applesauce, cheese, soup, mac and cheese, crackers..."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows at the man.

"Wasn't sure what he'd like, Jethro, I was covering all the bases!" Fornell looked back down at Tony. "Quiet, isn't he?"

"Think he's still kind of shell shocked, give 'im time, he'll probably start talking and never shut up! Then we'll BOTH be sorry."

"Kate or Abby call yet?"

"Twice. Each. Seems they wanna take him clothes shopping."

"And?"

"And, I told them I thought it was too much for him right now. As far as I'm concerned, all he needs right now are diapers, food, and sleep. Kate already got him socks and three sets of pjs, he can live in them for a while."

"He oughta have some shoes, though. He's walking, right?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't go far, he's - he doesn't like being away from me."

"What're you gonna do when you have to go back to work?"

"He can go to the company daycare. There's always a slot opening up with somebody being transferred somewhere. If he gets weepy, they can call me and I'll come down and see him."

"This is gonna blow their minds, Jethro, you KNOW that , don't you? I've heard the scuttlebutt clear over to MY office, you might as well have ridden a damned CAMEL through the building."

"Yeah, well. Give 'em something different to talk about for a change than Lois Gordon's weekly hair color."

"How do you think they're gonna TAKE it, your team, I mean, and Ducky?"

Gibbs surprised the man by rounding on him with a wooden spoon in his hand.

"It's none of their -" He lowered his voice. "It's none of their damned business what I do in my private life, I don't try to run theirs!"

"Easy, Jethro, you'll scare your breakfast guest. I'm just saying that when they DO find out, you're gonna have your hands full keeping them from meddling. You better come up with a new set of rules just for him."

Gibbs hung the dishtowel on the rack and grabbed his cooling coffee. "Not a bad idea, Tobias. I'll have to think about some." He deposited himself in the chair on the other side of Tony. "So how'd it go with Senior?"

"He doesn't know you, so he didn't know enough to be scared of you. Till I told him you were black ops, and a sniper in Desert Storm. That cooled his jets considerably. He's already jacked-up knowing his backers are going down because of him. We may end up putting him the witness protection program."

"Tobias, no!"

"It's not just MY call, Jethro, in fact, it's all but out of my hands. He made a deal with the D.A., _and _JAG, it's on the table."

"So he gets a new life and new opportunities to ruin MORE lives?"

"He helped us take down some heavy-hitters, Jethro."

"He left his goddamned son to DIE!" Gibbs yelled, pounding the table with his fist and standing up so fast that he knocked his chair over. The man knew immediately how regretful he was going to be of those actions. He couldn't get the belt undone fast enough to grab up Tony before a pitiful wail sirened out of his mouth. "Go get his nuk, and that rabbit." he ordered Fornell, pressing the boy up close to him and smearing oatmeal all over his sweatshirt. "Sorry, Bubba, I never learn, do I?"

"Where ARE they?" Fornell sounded panicked.

"I dunno, they're... on the coffee table, I think!"

Fornell found them and hurried back with them, unnerved by the sudden outburst from the sedate child. He stuffed the nuk in Tony's mouth and the stuffie in his hand. "Do that AGAIN and I'll headslap ya MYSELF, Jethro!" he told the man as he smoothed his hand over the boy's head.

"Alright, I get it, Tobias, it was a dumb ass - it was a boneheaded move. Sit. Don't bother telling me the rest of the story, I don't wanna know."

"We get to watch him like a hawk, Jethro, he'll be monitored and have to report in to one of our satellite offices once a week. He goes off radar, we come after him with both barrels, he'll go to prison for life."

"Prefer that."

"So what color are we painting the guest room?" Fornell diplomatically changed the subject.

"Eggshell. Got a bunch left over from the upstairs bathroom project, bought what was left over from a mis-tint rack."

"That's boring for a kid, Jethro."

"I'll find some pictures and borders for it. Not a priority right now.."

"Abby's gonna be jealous."

"Abby's gonna be too busy trying to turn him into a mini-goth to be jealous. She'll adapt."

Gibbs sat back down and turned Tony around to face Fornell. "Pass me the oatmeal, there, Tobias."

"It's a mess, Jethro."

"Yeah, well, so are WE now. Just give it to me, see if he'll finish it."

"Wanna try some fruit or something with it?"

"Nope. Ducky said small portions to start out or he'll just end up puking it up."

Fornell slid the gooey bowl of cereal over to Gibbs, and Tony spit out his nuk and dove his hand back into it for another fistful. Gibbs went for another slug of coffee when he heard someone knocking on the front door.

"I'll get it." Fornell volunteered, starting to get out of his seat.

"No, it's probably Kate or Abby, sit and drink your coffee." Gibbs stood and hoisted Tony onto his hip, still with his fist of oatmeal to his mouth. The knocking continued. He was starting to doubt it was any of his team, and swung the door open to find a nervous-looking woman waiting hesitantly on his doorstep. She glanced around and wrung her handkerchief in her hands.

"Senior Gibbs?"

"Yes, maam."

"I - my name is Carmella, I - I was one of Senior DiNozzo's staff."

"Really!" Gibbs wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing. He decided to go with his gut. "Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, please." She glanced around cautiously some more. "Senior DiNozzo. He is in prison, no?"

"He's in jail at the moment, headed to prison if I have anything to do with it. Come on in, we're in the kitchen."

"No, I prefer to talk here, I cannot stay long, I have others waiting for me."

"Why exactly are you HERE, Carmella?" Gibbs asked bluntly, becoming suspicious.

"He fired us, without warning. Told us to - get out before the federalis showed up. We - we were not legal, Senior Gibbs, so we packed a few things and left in the gardener's van."

"Did you KNOW Tony got left behind by himself in the guest house?" Gibbs yelled, making her cower. He couldn't help it, it just became too visceral with him when he thought of the baby alone. But he did see the woman's face lose all color.

"Ay dios mios, no senior! He told us he was taking him WITH him! No one knew, I SWEAR, we would never leave Anthony like that, he's a sweet, loving child, it is his FATHER who is the monster!"

"And did it never occur to you to turn that monster IN when he hurt him?" Gibbs growled through his teeth, trying to stave off another crying jag from Tony, and keeping Fornell from hearing him.

"Senior, we were -"

"Illegal, yeah, I know. And letting him abuse Tony was worth not getting into trouble?"

"We were all little Anthony had, Senior Gibbs, he knew us, we were the ones to take him to the hospital when his father - "

"Broke his own baby's arm?"

"He would not take him, said it was only - sprained. We knew it was not. We snuck out while he was out of town and took him to his doctor. We told his doctor he fell playing."

"You LIED about it?" Gibbs was livid. He wanted the woman out of his sight.

"He would not have done anything about it, he was in Senior DiNozzo's pocket, and we had no money to go to a different doctor. Please, we did whatever we could to protect little Anthony, we could not get him away from the man, he was too powerful, but we tried..."

"Alright, I believe you, just - tell me when you all left, how long was he by himself?

"We left late yesterday morning, Senior DiNozzo came to the guest house with Anthony , told us to pack our things and waited for us to leave. That was the last we saw of either of them, I had no idea he - "

"So what time, ten o'clock, eleven o'clock?"

"Closer to noon, I think, we were just starting to make lunch."

"We found him around - 2200 hours, so...Christ, he was wandering around by himself for over ten hours? Jesus..." He had to look away from her and gain his composure. He looked back at her and asked "So how did you know he was here?"

"We have among us a network, of sorts, to- help us watch out for one another, those of us who - are not legal. Someone returned when we heard about Senior DiNozzo -and he saw Anthony. I had to come see for myself that he was alright, so we had someone trace your address. What is going to happen to him now?"

"He'll be taken care of, Carmella, I promise."

"You - won't report me, will you, Senior Gibbs?"

"It took a lot of guts for you to come here knowing I was a federal agent, and I appreciate the information about what actually happened yesterday, so, I'd say we're even."

Carmella took a good, long look at the man she had started out being a little afraid of. She saw the fatigue in his eyes and face, and the oatmeal smeared all over the front of his once pristine sweatshirt. She broke into a smile.

"YOU are going to keep him then, Senior Gibbs?"

"If I can, yeah."

The woman gazed around the older house with its simple and austere furnishings.

"Don't think I qualify in the wealth department?" Gibbs asked her, unable to keep the snideness out of his voice.

"I think this is just what Anthony needs. His father's wealth meant nothing to him, he wanted the man's love and was given only anger and bitterness. After little Anthony's madre passed on, Senior drank too much. What little feelings he had for his son died with her."

"He should have gotten her help."

"He was seldom home. Away making money. Always the money." she sighed.

"How long were you there?"

"Less than four months. But I heard stories from the others."

"How are you going to manage, Carmella, I mean, do you need any cash to tide you over until -"

"Oh, no, no, Senior, but gracias. My expenses were few at the house and I managed to save some back in case we had to leave under bad circumstances. You are a kind man, Senior Gibbs, much kinder than Senior DiNozzo. Little Anthony is lucky that it was you who rescued him. He is happy with you, I can see it in his eyes. He is content now."

"Thanks, Carmella. Feel free to stop by again if you're in the area."

"Gracias, Senior Gibbs, but we're headed out of state tonight so..."

"Right. Okay, well, take care. Thanks again for stopping and telling me what happened."

"And thank YOU, Senior Gibbs. My heart is lighter knowing he's in your care. Goodbye, Anthony. You are a sweet bebe. You grow up strong and good and make your papa proud. Adios, Senior Gibbs."

"Adios, Carmella." Gibbs told her as he saw her to the door and watched her hurry down the sidewalk to the van waiting down the street. He closed the door behind them and headed back to the kitchen.

"Vacuum cleaner salesman?" Fornell inquired lazily. Truthfully, he was burning to know what had transpired in the foyer.

"Employee of DiNozzo Senior. Heard I had Junior. Wanted to make sure he was okay."

"She legit?"

"She was fine," Gibbs told him tightly. "You put away the groceries while I clean him up. Unless YOU want to." He swung a filthy Tony towards Fornell, making the child giggle.

"Nope. Fridge duty is fine. You gonna give 'im a bath?"

"Just gave 'im one. Gonna have to go with a washcloth."

"You did that bass-akwards, didn't you?"

"You come here to help paint the nursery, Tobias, not tell me how to raise my son!"

Gibbs stopped mid-stride at what he'd just said. Fornell almost dropped the lettuce.

"I don't have to tell you how WEIRD that sounded, Jethro."

"Nope. Scared the hell outta ME. Meet me in the guest room, bring drinks."


	10. Bear Pit, Part 8

**AN: T****hanks to all who have reviewed and alerted my story! It's much appreciated!**

**Thanks to Bunny for the beta and cheer leading, RAH, RAH, SIS BOOM BAH!**

* * *

><p>Tobias Fornell all but trudged up the stairs to Gibb's guest room, two bottles of soda and a baby bottle of milk in his hands. Somehow he hadn't fully thought this through. He was all for helping his friend, it was just - painting a room with an eighteen month old kid? What were they thinking? Gibbs couldn't just give the kid his patented glare of doom and make the boy stay out from under foot. Already there was going to be mayhem, and the papers had yet to be drawn up and signed by anyone. Well, he was already here, might as well do what he could to help the man who was taking such a big risk with a baby he really knew nothing about. But he knew Gibb's mind was made up, and little to nothing would stop him from accomplishing his goal.<p>

When Fornell stepped into the doorway of the guest room, he realized the same principle applied to painting a room while watching a child. They were both smart men, they'd figure it out. He set the bottles down on a little table by the door and surreptitiously took out his cell, switching it to camera mode. He couldn't resist. Tony was perched on Gibb's shoulders while the man removed old pictures and nails from the wall. He was working one-handed, his other hand grasping Tony's left leg to keep him from falling.

"You show that to anyone before it's official and I'll make sure your alimony check to Diane mysteriously gets lost in the mail."

"Go ahead." Fornell replied boldly. "She gets it direct deposit."

"Huh," Gibbs grunted. "Still mail mine."

"Dinosaur."

"Yup." Gibbs yanked another nail out and threw it in a paper cup. "Wanna start by movin' the small things and lining them up along the wall?"

"Sure thing, boss." Fornell jibed.

"Toss the knicknacks and stuff in that box over there, I'll sort through it later."

"Where you getting the furniture? You still got - Kelly's stuff?"

"In the attic." Gibbs answered him flatly.

"And?"

"AND, I don't KNOW, Tobias, I - haven't had any time to think about it yet."

"Let's use Emily's, then, Diane's never gonna need it again."

"You sure of that, Tobias?"

"She got what she wanted from me. Well, ONE thing, anyways. She's - onto other things now. She'll be fine with it, besides, they're in MY basement, and possession is nine-tenths of the law, right?" He flashed a look at Gibbs, then one up to the child on the man's shoulders and winked at the kid. Gibbs laughed and squeezed Tony's leg. "Damn straight. Finders-keepers, Tobias."

"What's Morrow think of this whole case?"

"Thinks it's goatrope just like I do. Doesn't want the kid becoming collateral damage; he's got legal taking care of it. Biggest problem will be keeping the _press's _nose out of it. I don't need them going after us cause Morrow's cutting through the red tape to make me his legal guardian."

"You don't think you deserve to get cut some slack after all you've done for this government and its people?"

"I think I don't have time to fight that public relations battle, Tobias! I'm gonna have enough battles as it IS making sure this gets done right."

"You won't do it alone, Jethro, I hope you understand that."

Gibbs turned to Fornell, putting the claw hammer down on a dresser and looking him square in the eye.

"Yeah, Tobias. I do now. Thanks. This is...I dunno, it's like I'm all of a sudden in one of those - alternate universes McGee and Abby talk about. Yesterday morning I wake up with everything semi-normal, this morning... I got an eighteen month old trying to stuff a toy rabbit in my ear. I haven't let it sink IN with me yet, and I have a feeling when it DOES, I'm gonna get a little freaked out."

"Freaked out? I didn't think that that phrase was even in your vocabulary, Jethro."

"You KNOW what I mean, Tobias, I - "

A voice called to him from downstairs.

"Gibbs? Where ARE you?"

Both men's eyebrows rose to the ceiling.

"Abby!" they both growled at the same time.

"Gibbs! Are you here? Your truck's here. Who's here with you?"

"Go tell her where we are, Tobias, so I haven't gotta yell down the stairs at her."

Fornell went to the top of the stairs and called down.

"We're up here, Abby, painting the guest room!"

Abby peered up at him, her hands full of shopping bags. Gibbs came up behind Fornell, Tony still riding on his shoulders. She broke into what could only be called a thrilled grin at the sight.

"Bubby," she called up to him and headed up the stairs as fast as the full bags would allow her to. "Are you helping Gibbs and Tobias?" she asked him, dropping the bags and squeezing his leg. "I know you told me not come by and that he didn't NEED anything, but- he has nothing, Gibbs, no shoes, no shampoo and hairbrush, no-"

"Alright, Abs, got the message. Sort it all out and put it in the bathroom. We need to keep working, Tobias doesn't want to be here all day."

"You're finally painting the old guest room, enh, Gibbs? What inspired that?"

Gibbs looked at Fornell. He had to think quickly without his answer sounding like a lie. His life was suddenly getting very complicated.

"Got a bunch of paint left over from my bathroom project. Fornell's been promising to help me."

"Uh huh!" she answered from the bathroom across the hall.

"Think she believed ya?" Fornell asked, sotto voce.

"Who KNOWS, Tobias, I'm beginning to think it's hopeless, anyways. Come on, let's get at least the small furniture moved out into the hall, I'll put the drop cloth down."

While Fornell carried out bedside tables and chairs, Gibbs single-handedly arranged an old sheet on the floor in front of the wall. Abby reappeared in the guest room doorway.

"Job done, Gibbs. You do KNOW he shouldn't really be breathing those toxic paint fumes into his little lungs, right?"

Gibbs heaved a sigh. It was starting already.

"And what do you suggest, Abs?"

"Oh, I suggest I take Bubby here and show him around the place, gotta get to know where he's gonna be living for the next sixteen and a half years, don'tcha, Tony boy?"

Gibbs looked ready to throw a tantrum. Fornell decided to just keep moving furniture out the door.

"Ab-beee!" he warned rather loudly.

"Gibbs, come ON, you really think I'm that stupid?"

"Who TOLD you? Do McGee and Kate know too?"

"Nobody told me, they didn't HAVE to, I can read it in your eyes, and no, McGee and Kate don't know, and I won't tell them if you don't want me to."

"I don't! I don't wanna say ANYTHING till it's all signed and legal, there're too many unknowns in this equation."

"What's your gut telling you, Gibbs?"

"I don't KNOW, Abs, it hasn't been calm enough in the past four days to even know which end is up!"

"Every thing's gonna work out fine, Gibbs, there's a REASON you went to the estate even if DiNozzo was miles away when you got there. Ya done GOOD, Tobias!" she declared, patting his shoulder meaningfully.

"Thanks, Scuito. Least I did SOMETHING right at this end!"

"Okay, bossman, hand him over, we're gonna go touring!"

"Abs, he may not LET you."

"Then I'LL help paint and YOU give him the tour! Show him all his new clothes and toys and stuff. Get to know your kid!"

"Alright, fine. But I MEAN it, Abs, no calling ANYBODY about this, even Ducky!"

"Oh, I won't, Gibbs, I pinky-swear!"

Gibbs was out in the hallway when another thought struck him, and he turned around and stood outside the guest room doorway.

"How'd ya know, Abs? I mean, I didn't really even know myself!"

"Oh! I had a DREAM, Gibbs! Night before last! I didn't say anything cause I - I didn't understand it then, and I didn't wanna upset you. Guess I understand it NOW!" She beamed happily at him and kissed his cheek. "Oh, I left something for you on your dining room table! Go on, have fun! We'll whip this place into shape, won't we, Tobias?" She turned and punched the Feebie in the arm.

"Oww! Sheesus, Scuito, lighten up or you'll be painting this room by yourself."

"Ooops! Sorry, Toby! Go, Gibbs, I promise not to maim him too much!"

"Okay, Abs, come get me if you need me, we'll be around."

Abby watched her boss saunter down the hall to the stairs, hands clasping Tony's little legs. She turned back to Fornell and surprised the man with an unexpected bear hug.

"Thank you, Tobias, this is the best thing to happen to him since Shannon and Kelly. But you already know that, don't you?"

Fornell broke out of her grip and rearranged his clothing. He wasn't any more used to the touchy-feely stuff than Gibbs.

"YOU need to lighten up, TOO, Mr. Feebie, if you're gonna be an uncle to my little brother! He's gonna need lots of hugs and kisses and lovin'!"

"Don't worry, Ms. Scuito, I got it under control! I'm here painting his nursery, aren't I?"

"Yup! Pass me the can-opener, Uncle Toby, we've got a lotta work to do before anyone from social services inspects this place."

"Maam, yes maam, gunny Sergeant!"

"Don't call me maam, I WORK for a living!" she yelled back in her best Gibbs voice. In the dining room, Gibbs smiled to himself. Abby had left a cigar with a blue band that read "It's a boy." He made his way to his basement, Tony still riding happily on his shoulders. He had a workshop to show the kid.

**. . . . .**

It was a good two hours later that Abby and Fornell took a break for lunch and went looking for the homeowner and his charge to join them. Going on instinct, they headed for the basement first. Abby had her phone out taking pictures by the time she hit the fourth step.

Tony was perched on Gibb's work bench, legs straight out in front of him, completely engrossed in each and every tool Gibbs was showing him.

"...and this is a back saw, it has nice, fine teeth, you use it for cutting molding and doing woodworking... but you can't play with it for a few years, yet, cause it's really sharp and you'll hurt yourself if you play with it." Gibbs set it down and picked up a tape measure. "Now THIS -this one you can PLAY with, see, you pull it out here, and it stre-e-e-e-ches out and measures stuff. Let's see how tall you are!"

Gibbs stood the boy up on the work bench, held him steady with one hand, and pulled out the tape with the other, holding it up besides Tony and measuring the inches. "Not bad, Bubba, but you could use a few more inches!" He made the tape slide more slowly than usual back into the metal casing, then let it snap the rest of the way. Tony flinched and Gibbs held his breath. Maybe that wasn't... A high-pitched, hysterical giggle erupted from the boy, and he clapped his hands with joy.

"Hah, ya like that? Want me to do it again?"

Tony laughed and nodded, and Gibbs sat him back down so he could laugh without toppling. He pulled the tape out again, slid it back slowly, then let it snap the rest of the way once again. Tony shrieked with laughter, bouncing on his butt on the workbench. Gibbs couldn't stop himself. He threw his head back and laughed with him. It felt strange and wonderful to laugh like that again. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd cracked more than a smile over anything.

From the top of the basement stairs, Abby clicked photo after photo, until her own emotions overcame her.

"Oh, Toby... this is nothing short of miraculous," she murmured to the stunned agent behind her. And they both had pictures to prove it.


	11. Bear Pit, Part 9

Abby stood at Gibb's dining room table staring at the very make-shift high chair the man had rigged up.

"You strapped him to the chair with your BELT, Gibbs?"

"Worked at the time, Abs. Didn't have any other option, unless you'd rather I let 'im take a header onto the floor."

"I'd RATHER you got him age-appropriate furniture! Come 'ere, little man, come sit on Abby's lap. I'll bet you're hungry again, your Daddy's gonna find you something to eat."

"Language, Abs, not until we-"

"I KNOW, Gibbs, I can't HELP it, it just slipped out!"

"Tobias says I can have Emily's high chair and stuff. Maybe we'll go grab it after lunch. Somebody' gonna need a nap by then, anyways."

"That's great, thanks, Tobias!"

"Just sitting in my basement collecting dust." Fornell answered as Gibbs plunked a warmed bottle of milk down in front of her.

"Start with that. I'll make him some mac and cheese."

"I brought him some dishes and spoons, Gibbs, they're in the sink, you need to wash them first, though."

"I know, Abs, working on it." Gibbs kept his voice even and patient. He knew it was going to be like this from now on - Abby, Fornell, the rest of the known world - telling him how to raise his son. He needed to figure out how he was going to deal with it. Well...maybe, God forbid, he needed to re-adjust his thinking on it. Maybe it wasn't so much telling him what to do as - just helping him do it. He wiped dry Tony's toddler bowls and spoons and took out a pan for the macaroni and cheese.

"Make me a sandwich there, will ya, Tobias? Assorted, whatever ya brought is fine."

"Got it, Jethro."

"How far did you get with the painting?"

"Almost done with it, Gibbs!" Abby chirped brightly. "It looks great, now I'm gonna look for some border when we go out to get the furniture!"

"Nothing wild, Abs. Horses, tools, fishing, dogs, baseball - no bats, skeletons, coffins - no gothy, scary stuff."

"Got it. I'll pick up a new mattress and sheets for the crib and cushions for the highchair."

"Let me give you my VISA, might as well get what you think he needs long as you're taking the truck. Just remember. What he NEEDS. Don't get too crazy with it."

"Oh, Gibbs, this so fun, aren't you excited?"

"About furniture and wallpaper? Sorry, Abs, but nope. More interested in making sure I keep what goes IN 'em safe and happy."

"Amen to THAT, Jethro. Sandwich is ready, mustard, not mayo?"

Fornell set the plate with sandwich and some chips down on the counter next to Gibbs. "Wanna try getting some applesauce into him?"

"Be my guest, Tobias, I'm willing to get as much into him as I can. Just can't do it all at once, yet. Here, here's a bowl and spoon. Have fun."

"I got some bibs, they're in that plastic bag on the counter," Abby informed him.

Gibbs took a big bite of his sandwich and rifled through the bag, finding three baby bibs. They had writing and pictures on them, and he stopped to read them. One said 'Being this cute is a full-time job" The next had trucks on it and said 'time to refuel.' The last one was the one to unexpectedly break him. 'Daddy's little helper.'

He stood there for a moment staring at it, then bolted for the pantry door and disappeared behind it. Abby and Fornell exchanged shocked and bewildered looks.

"You feed him like you were going to, Toby," Abby told him, handing a confused Tony over to him. "I'll go see what's up with the bossman."

She heard the basement door slam shut, a clear indication to here that her boss did not want company.

_Well that's just too bad, Mr. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, yer gettin' it anyways!_

She flung the door open and stomped down the stairs.

"What the hell was THAT all about, Gibbs? Did we say or do something to offend you?"

"Go away, Abs." Gibb's voice was so tight and full of emotion, she barely heard him. It scared her, but she kept on coming.

"No! You need to TELL me! What HAPPENED, what did we do? Tell me so we can fix it!"

"You didn't DO anything and you can't FIX it, not what's wrong with ME, you can't."

"The bibs..." Abby murmured in a shaky voice. She felt a sharp stab of guilt in her gut. "I - I'm sorry, Gibbs, I didn't think, I should've gotten plain ones."

"Not yer fault, Abs, now - go on, go help Tobias." Gibbs fumbled with a jelly jar, shaking hands dumping out its contents of drywall screws. He uncapped the bourbon bottle with a vengeance, and poured out three fingers.

"Gibbs, I can't believe you're gonna - "

"What, Abs? Have a drink in the middle of the day? Ruin your opinion of me? Run away from my responsibilities? Life is full of bitter disappointment, Abs, get used to it."

"Please don't drink it, Gibbs, TALK to me, tell me what's going on, PLEASE!"

"What's going ON is that I still dream about them and they still call to me! People say you get OVER it after a while, but you DON'T, you just learn to stuff it down to a level you can LIVE with, suppress it so you can - keep breathing! People who have never lost a child - cannot even BEGIN to imagine that kind of loss and pain... I barely lived through it once, Abs, I can't do it again."

Abby struggled to follow the broken man's line of thought, her computer-like brain processing everything he had said and not said. She suddenly felt a jolt to her stomach.

"You - you're saying - you're -you're changing your - mind? You're sending him away?" Her voice cracked on the last word, unable to contain her devastation.

He sighed heavily and looked away from her, unable to look at her face, unable to let her see his.

"Maybe it's for the best, Abs."

"Maybe it's for the BEST? What the hell is WRONG with you, Jethro, did you fall and hit your head down here while we were painting? You've been through black ops and war and God knows how many lowlife-scumbags shooting at you and you're running away from a little kid?"

He spun on her, his face a mask of fury, and she couldn't help but take a tiny step back.

"YEAH, Abs, so WHAT if I AM, what're you gonna DO about it? You can't force me to take him, no one can! I didn't ASK for this, and I never should have set foot through the door with him! People KNOW what I've been through, no one would blame me if I changed my mind!"

"I would blame you, Gibbs! And do you hear yourself? Cause I'M hearing you LOUD. AND. CLEAR!"

"So what am I SAYING, Abs?" His voice was all anger and sarcasm, but she ignored it.

"You're saying this is all about you. I'm hearing 'me, my, I', over and over again."

Gibbs spun back away from her and leaned over the workbench, arms stretched out stiff in front of him, head down to his chest.

"I'm hearing you're afraid of something that only God has any control over! You may have black magic, Gibbs, but even you don't KNOW the ways of the universe or what's in store for ANY of us! We don't own our next breath, I could drop over five minutes from a brain aneurysm, or I could live to a hundred and ten! But if I did die in the next five minutes, would you wish you'd never met me, never become a second father to me? Think about what you're doing, Gibbs. As much as I love you, as much as I know how hard it was for you when you lost your girls, this isn't ABOUT you. It's about a little boy up in the kitchen waiting for you to come and feed him his mac and cheese, waiting for you to be his DADDY! There are plenty of people out there to take him in, Gibbs, to give him food and clothes and a house -but NO ONE could be as good of a dad to him as you. Cause you of all people know what it takes to be a daddy, it takes waa-yy more than providing food and clothes and a house. And you OOZE daddy, Gibbs, especially to Bubba. Kate said you let him pick him right up at the guest house."

"He was in shock, I think he would've gone to the devil himself."

"Gibbs, I've seen you go to bat and stand up for total underdogs, for cases that don't get you anything but headache and heartburn. Don't TELL me you don't have it in you to do the right thing for Bubby."

Gibbs sighed again and turned to speak to her when his cell rang. He checked the number and looked up at her.

"Gotta take this, Abs. I'm not - tuning you out." He flipped open the phone.

"Gibbs! (pause) Yeah. (pause) Yeah. Wow. Okay. (pause) Okay, Tom that's great, thanks. (pause) No, I am, I just - got a lot going on here right now. (pause) Yeah, I will. Thank you." Gibbs snapped the phone shut and stared at it for a few moments, then looked up at Abby.

"You were right, Abs, I HAVE let this become about me, and I'm not doing any of us any favors by acting like a jackass.'

"Gibbs, who...who WAS that? Is Tom the social worker? Is he - coming to take Tony? Cause I don't think I -"

Gibbs crooked a finger to her to come over to him.

"Come here, Abs, gimme a hug."

She flew to him and embraced him as if her life depended on it.

"Ohh, Gibbs, noo-o-o!"

"Abs, that was Tom Morrow. As in our Director. Your OTHER boss."

"I thought we were off rotation for the weekend."

"We are. He's been helping me with a little project I've been working on recently. Says it's all taken care of, just need to meet a few people and sign a few papers, give an interview or two and a tour before it's wrapped up."

"You're getting - a new team member?"

"Yeah, I am. He's a little on the short side, kinda quiet, but I think you'll be able to get past that. Pretty easy-going unless you startle him, then he shrieks like a little kid."

"And you're still gonna hire him? Kate will eat him ALIVE!"

"Nah. Nibble on him a little bit, maybe. I won't let her eat 'im."

"Does Kate know she's getting a new partner?"

"Nope, not till next week. Don't want her spending the weekend and then work-time worrying about it."

Abby pulled away from her boss, unsure of how the heated conversation they'd just been having had gotten so derailed.

"So. What're you gonna do with - Bubby?"

"I'm gonna go back up to the kitchen and see if he'll still have me. Can't have my newest team member starting out thinking his boss is a jerk."

Gibbs thought he could hear the click of the light bulb going on in Abby's head. She squealed and jumped up and down.

"Director Morrow helped you get custody of him!"

"Yup. We both called in some favors."

"So - you're SURE about this, now? Cause a minute ago you were on your way to drop him off at the orphanage..."

Gibbs hung his head, unable to look at her.

"I got scared, Abs. This is a huge deal for me, and I just - I can't change what my past has made me, it goes too deep. You of all people know it almost destroyed me. I really, really do WANT him in my life, Abs, but you've gotta understand where I'm coming from."

"I do. I mean - sort of - I know I can't really understand without going through it myself, but I know how grief can sneak up on you when you least expect it and cut you off at the knees, and you don't always know what the trigger will be but - you can't let the past keep you from having a future - keep HIM from having a future. You two are meant to be together, Gibbs, don't ask me how I know, just that I know with every fiber of my body... so promise me that if you get that panicked feeling like you just got when you looked at those bibs - that you run to one of US instead away from HIM. He deserves a better life, so do YOU, and you can give each other the best, even though you're scared right now. And some wise Marine once told me that it's okay to be scared, that courage is just facing fear instead of running away from it. You will DO this, Gibbs, and you will do it WELL, I promise. Now let's go up there and see what kind of mischief Fornell has gotten into."

As it turned out, Fornell was busily cleaning up lunch dishes while Tony happily stuffed cheesy noodles into his face with his fist and used his spoon as a drumstick on the table. Fornell had  
>strapped the boy back into the chair with Gibb's belt, having been left alone to hold down the fort while Abby and Gibbs sorted things out. Tony bounced in his seat when he saw the two and grinned widely through cheese and noodles.<p>

"Hey, Bubba, you look like yer enjoying that mac and cheese!" He reached over and tweeked Tony's chubby cheek. "Thanks for finishing it and taking care of things while we were gone, Tobias."

Fornell stuffed the towel through the fridge handle and stood hand on hips in front of them.

"So did ya get out whatever bug was up Jethro's butt, Sciuto?"

"Think so, Toby. But I'm keeping my eye on him, anyways."

Fornell looked at Gibbs, assessing the man. Despite his reputation for being a hard- ass like Gibbs, he could also read people well, just like Gibbs.

"Bibbs got to ya, hunh, Jethro?" There was no teasing or humor lacing his voice, only sympathy.

"Yeah, Tobias. Kinda - made me a little queasy, actually."

"Yeah, well, bibs'll DO that to you sometimes. Sit down, and finish your sandwich, you TOO, Sciuto, yer not wasting my hard-earned money. So far the KID'S been the only grateful diner here. Put away a whole bowl of applesauce before he started on the mac and cheese."

"No kidding!" Gibbs exclaimed, sitting down and picking up the bowl and taking the spoon out of Tony's grubby hand. "Let's see if we can get the rest of this in your mouth instead of in your hair and then we'll go lie down in the den for a while, hunh"

He started spooning the mac and cheese in, alternating it with drinks of milk from the bottle. "Ate the whole bowl of sauce, did ya?" Gibbs asked while he shoveled in another mouthful of the stuff, now oblivious to his other lunch guests. "You keep putting food away like this, yer gonna be as big as me someday and playing college ball! Yes, you are, aren't you?"

He was so busy enjoying his new house mate, he seemed to hardly noticed Abby and Fornell getting ready to leave.

"Get my card outta my wallet, Abs," he told her without looking away from his work. "It's in on the desk in the den. Remember, things he NEEDS! Get an area rug somewhere, too, and pick up some more groceries, some for him and for you guys."

"Got it, bossman!"

"And Abs."

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Thanks for talking me down off that ledge. You are RIGHT, it's just gonna take some adjusting is all."

"I know that, Gibbsarooni. We're ALL going to have to adjust, but it'll be SO-0 worth it."

"Yeah, it WILL be. Go on, I want you done here and home before dark. I'll finish cleaning up.  
>And remember, not calling anyone about this includes no texting or ID'ing or any of the other 'ings' you guys do on your phones. They'll know when I'm ready for them to know."<p>

Abby looked sheepishly at Fornell, as if she had been caught figuring out how to sneak out the bedroom window for a forbidden school dance. Fornell just chuckled.

"Got yer hands FULL, Gibbs, if your hair wasn't ALREADY gray, you would be soon."

"TELL me about it, Tobias. You keep an eye on that shopping cart, she comes home with a plasma TV and teletubby tapes, all favors I owe you are paid in full."

"Bye, Jethro. See you in a few."

"Yeah, Tobias." Gibbs grinned up at him. "I'll try to keep myself occupied somehow." He shoveled the last of the mac and cheese into Tony's mouth and cheered at the empty bowl, making Tony laugh hysterically at his silliness. "Doesn't take much to entertain you, does it, kid? Somehow I think that's a really good thing!"

Somewhere in between lunch and the screamingly good entertainment provided by his new father, which consisted of a wash-up, diaper and pj change, and a reading out loud of the daily newspaper's sports scores, Tony gave up the good fight and collapsed in a heap on Gibb's shoulder, nuk working furiously in his mouth.

For what Gibbs thought was probably the hundredth time, he sank his nose into the cornsilk curls on his baby's head and closed his eyes.

There was no other place he could imagine being, or wanting to be. This was heaven on earth for him, where, like Abby, he suddenly knew with every fiber of his being he belonged. He just needed to go with the flow, and it would all work out alright. Suddenly what had seemed so complicated down in his basement an hour or so ago, was surprisingly simple. Two lives seemingly thrown together by coincidence. But Gibbs had a rule about that. There were just no such things as coincidences.


	12. Bear Pit, Part 10

**Author's Note: Thank you buddy Bunny for the beta. Thanks to all who have reviewed, alerted and/or favorited.**

* * *

><p>By the time Abby and Fornell were done with their big adventure, neither were sure if they understood each other a little better or just wanted to kill each other more than ever. Both figured it was probably a little of both. But they had a crib and highchair with all the bedding and cushions, an assortment of toys and books, a pantry's worth of groceries, and a beat up tricycle that Abby insisted they pick up roadside.<p>

"Gibbs'll fix it up, Toby. It needs a home, just like Bubby," she told him confidently as she loaded the trike into the back of the truck. Fornell sighed and stared out at the road ahead. The goth had barely shut up since they'd walked out Gibb's front door. How in God's name did the gunny STAND her so many hours a week? She piled back into the truck and snatched up her lukewarm Caf-Pow. "Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

"Oiy vey," Fornell mumbled, his eyes heavenward.

"Gibbs is gonna LOVE the border I got! I hope he likes the color of the rug, it's kinda dark."

"Abby, he won't CARE, he just wants a rug!"

"SOMEBODY didn't get their daily quota of caffeine!"

"And somebody got a WEEK'S worth this afternoon! I can't even string two thoughts together with your non-stop blabbering!"

She sucked in a breath and pressed her lips together tightly. It only lasted a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, Toby, I'm -nervous and jumpy and not just from the Caf-Pows. I want this all to work out for Gibbs, I want everything to be PERFECT for them. He's - a totally different person around Bubby, he - it's like he's alive again, not just existing. He deserves, more than anyone I know, to be happy."

Fornell clicked on the turn signal and pulled back out into the road.

"I know, Abby. But we can't bend life to our will, you KNOW that as well as anybody."

"I KNOW, Tobias, but - he needs help DOING this, I mean - not so much raising Tony, that's as natural as BREATHING for him, but - he's scared, Toby. He's seeing his past rear its ugly, disgusting, horrifying head at him, and he's afraid."

"Of what? There's nothing that man can't do -"

"He's afraid of opening himself up to love like he did Kelly. but - he doesn't realize it yet but he's pretty much there already. That's why he's a little manic-depressive right now."

"God. No wonder he took off for the basement like it was on fire."

"You've gotta promise me you'll help him, Toby. Cause sometimes he's gonna be too proud to ask and sometimes he's not gonna know he NEEDS to. So - you've gotta help me keep an eye on him and make sure he's not climbing out on that ledge again. Or, if he does, that you can help me talk him down."

Fornell ran a hand hard over his mouth and sighed.

"You got it, Sciuto. And Sciuto..."

"What, Toby?"

"For a gal that spends so much time talking, you obviously do a lot of thinking, too."

"I'm a great multi-tasker, I can even walk and chew gum at the same time!"

Fornell cracked a smile.

"Bet you can, Sciuto."

There was barely a breath between them when Abby chimed in again.

"Kate and McGee are gonna FREAK when they find out!"

"Abby, need I remind you of your boss's orders?"

"Oh no, I can wait, if it's only for a few more days! I LOVE a secret, and this one is a MOAS!"

"A MOAS?"

"Mother of all secrets, Toby! Actually, though, it's FOAS, Father of all secrets!"

**. . . . .**

Gibbs closed the newspaper and set down his reading glasses when he heard Tony start to stir. He had fallen asleep on Gibb's chest, and although the man thought he wouldn't mind sitting there all week like that, he knew it would make the kid sweaty and uncomfortable, so he carefully pried him off and settled him on the couch. Gibbs sat and watched the boy for close to half an hour until he finally decided to sit back and catch up on some back-logged newspapers and magazines. He heard Tony snuffle and snort, then cry out, and he laid a gentle hand on his back.

"Hey, little man, it's okay, I'm right here." he soothed, rubbing Tony's back and wondering how many times the child had woken up alone and then stayed that way. His heart ached at the thought and he slipped his hands under the boy and pulled him up onto him, still rubbing his back and murmuring calming words to him. After a few minutes, Tony was finally lucid enough to pull away from him and look him in the face. Gibbs still wasn't sure what to expect from the kid, what sort of reaction he'd be getting while Tony adjusted to new people and a new home-life. The boy studied him closely and stuck a wrinkled thumb in his mouth, blinking away the last remnants of sleep.

"What're you lookin' for, Bubba?" Gibbs asked him in a quiet voice. He truly believed he was being held up for inspection, judged to the depths of his soul. The way the boy's green eyes held him made Gibbs feel a little squirmy and uncomfortable. As if sensing his discomfort, Tony reached out and patted his cheek with long, warm fingers and laughed at him. "I pass inspection, Gunny?"

Gibbs gave him a gentle shake and laughed back. "Hope so. Have a feeling I'm gonna be up for your inspection for many years to come!"

The quiet moment between them came to a crashing halt with Abby charging through the front door, more bags in hand. Tony startled and burst into tears, wrapping his arms tightly around Gibb's neck. The man sighed wearily. It was obvious he was going to have to give Abby some lessons in child etiquette.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, you'll never believe all the cool stuff we - " She stopped mid-sentence and stared down at them, Gibbs giving her a mildly accusing glare. "Did I do that?" she asked breathlessly.

"Ya gotta THINK about that stuff from now on, Abs, at least till he gets used to all of us." He continued to pat the crying boy's back, letting him get whatever pent-up emotions he had out of his system.

"I'm sorry." she sniffed, tears brimming in her own eyes. "I would never hurt our Bubby..."

"I know, Abs, he'll get over it. He just woke up from his nap so he's still a little out of it."

"Can I hold him? I promise I won't scare him again!"

"Yeah, sure, if he'll let you. I gotta hit the head, then I'll help Tobias unload the rest of the stuff. He reached down and picked up the blue rabbit stuffie and handed it to Abby. "Try bribing him with this."

Abby smoothed her hand over the back of Tony's head and cooed to him, and his sobs turned into hitching sniffles. He turned his head to her and met her with watery eyes.

"Come 'ere, baby, come see Abby, we'll go supervise Uncle Toby!" She took Tony out of Gibb's arms, and smiled brilliantly.

"He probably needs his diaper changed, Abs, see if he'll let you do it, I'll be right back."

Gibbs got up to leave and felt a little fist grab onto his shirt sleeve, then heard a plaintive cry.

"Bubba, I gotta go to the head, let Abby play with you, I'll only be a - "

Tony cried harder, real, authentic tears of unhappiness. Gibbs sighed.

"Go help Tobias. I'll get 'im changed and come help you." She handed him back to Gibbs and laughed at his situation. "It's not funny, Abs, sooner or later he's gotta get over this separation anxiety, I can't have 'im at my desk at work, they won't allow it and I won't get any work done."

"He'll figure it out soon enough, Gibbs, he's a smart boy! Go on, go pee and change him, Toby and I will bring in the rest of the stuff, you can tell us where you want it all."

Gibbs nodded and headed off down the hallway. When he came back, Abby was carrying the last of the groceries, and Fornell had the highchair in his hands.

"Needs to be wiped down, Jethro, but it's still in good shape for sitting there all this time." He headed to the dining room with it, talking over his shoulder as he walked. "Crib and mattress are already upstairs, I didn't set them up, figured you could do that after the paint is totally dry. Everything is in, even the tricycle."

"Tricycle?" Gibbs eyebrows rose to the ceiling. "You let Abby buy him a tricycle already?"

"HELL no, she found it roadside, made me stop and pick it up. It's in good shape, just needs some sanding and a new coat of paint."

"Hunh. Well, leave it to Abs to spot something- " He was interrupted by the ring of his cell. Fornell headed to the kitchen for a drink while Gibbs fumbled for his cell. It wasn't so easy to retrieve anymore with a little kid in one arm.

"Gibbs!" he shouted into it, in his usual brusque manner.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" the voice asked at the other end.

"Yeah, just said that, didn't I?"

"Yes, you DID, Mr. Gibbs, I'm just confirming whom I'm talking to."

"And 'whom' am I talking to?

"This is James Tuttle, from the Department of Social Services. I've been contacted by the NCIS Legal Department in regards to your guardianship of Anthony DiNozzo Junior."

Gibbs gulped, fear rising to the surface, but he quickly tamped it down.

"And?"

"And, I need to meet with both you and Anthony tomorrow, say 10 a.m.?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Where?"

"I would prefer NCIS for the first meeting. I need to make sure you meet all state requirements. You won't be allowed to just waltz away with him just because your agency has pulled some strings in the legal department."

Gibbs felt his guts clench. Why did he think it was going to be that easy?

"I'm not trying to just 'waltz' away with him, I -"

"10 o'clock sharp. Is there a conference room we can meet in?"

"Well you seem to be in control of the world, Mr. Tuttle, why don't you tell ME?"

"Mr. Gibbs, you're not helping yourself here."

Gibbs felt another rush of fear rise up and he forced himself to calm and put on his game face. He knew the man was baiting him.

"No. You're right, I'm not. Director's office conference room, I'll make sure that it's available."

"See that you do, Mr. Gibbs."

Gibbs wanted to scream, "That's AGENT Gibbs to you!" but figured he was in deep enough. He hung up before he could run his mouth anymore and pocketed the phone. He needed to talk to Fornell. As if the man had read his mind, he was standing right behind him.

"What IS it, Jethro, you look a little green."

"DSS just called. Need to meet with them tomorrow morning. I got a bad feeling about this, Tobias."

"Hey, legal's got this all wrapped UP, they can't just yank him away from you - "

"They can do anything they see FIT to do, Tobias, and while normally I'm all FOR them advocating for the kids, THIS one's gonna go above and beyond advocating. He doesn't like that our legal department cut through the bureaucratic b.s. for my guardianship of him. Probably doesn't like government agents in general."

"But HE'S a government worker!"

"Yeah, so? Do you Feebies like us NCIS'ers? Or the CIA?"

"Point taken, Jethro. But you know I at least TOLERATE you and yours."

"I know, Tobias. C'mon, let's round Abby up and send you both home, it's getting late."

"You gonna have Morrow there?"

"If he's available. Doubt I'll get anyone from legal on a Sunday. Tuttle can do his job all he wants, I'm not gonna stop him, OR fault him for it. But he's not gonna BULLY me just 'cause he doesn't like me. If he tries to PULL anything, it'll end badly for him."

"Oh, I bet it WILL." Fornell said under his breath. "And this is only the beginning."


	13. Bear Pit, Part 11

Abby was finishing up the last of her watered-down Caf-Pow and making sure everything that had been brought in was in its place. She saw Gibbs pocket his cell, and caught the odd look on his face.

"What is it, Gibbs, who was that?"

Gibbs took a deep breath and looked her in the eye.

"It was social services. Bubba and I need to meet with them in the morning."

"On a Sunday?"

"Don't care what day, just wanna get it over with."

"It's standard, right? Routine?"

"Course it is. Morrow told me they'd be calling."

"Then - why are you upset?"

"What makes you think I'm upset, Abs?"

"Cause that - vein is twitching on the side of your forehead. And baby's looking nervous."

Gibbs schooled his features and took another deep, hopefully calming, breath.

"The worker that I talked to just - rubbed me the wrong way is all, it'll be fine."

"It'd BETTER be, or DSS is gonna be one caseworker short!"

"Abby, stop. This is part of the process, and you know it. You of all people would not appreciate a kid of ANY age getting put in an adoptive home without everything being okay'd by Social Services. Now come on, it's almost dark, time for both of you to hit the road, I've gotta give this guy a bath and something to eat before bed."

"Right! Make sure you use his new shampoo, Gibbs, that stuff of yours is too harsh for him. And - "

Gibbs gave her shoulder a patient squeeze.

"I've got it, Abs, this isn't my first -" He stumbled on his words, his throat closing with emotion.

"Rodeo!" she finished for him. "Not your first rodeo. And you call me if you need me tomorrow, Gibbs!"

"I will, Abs, don't worry about it, I'll have it covered."

He waited for both of them to drive away before calling Morrow.

. . . . .

The next morning, Gibbs was showered, shaved and dressed before Tony ever stirred, and when he did, he lazily let Gibbs dress and feed him, still seemingly half-asleep. They arrived at the Navy Yard with time to spare, and Gibbs made a b-line to Abby's lab. He'd called her late last night to ask her to babysit the boy, as he wasn't sure what would transpire in the conference room and would rather Tony not be a witness to his new father perhaps committing homicide. They could all go down to Abby's office when the time came, or have her bring Tony up to them. For the first time since Gibbs picked Tony up into his arms, the boy seemed settled enough to let Gibbs walk away from him. Of course, all the doohickies in the goth's labs that mesmerized him didn't hurt, either.

When Cynthia let Gibbs in to the conference room, the agent found Morrow leaning against the wet bar, arms folded, and two men seated at the conference table. He immediately read their visitor passes, tagging James Tuttle, but had no idea who the other man was. Maybe it was the guy's supervisor, brought in as his second or something. Well, Gibbs had brought his director, so he guessed it was only fair.

"Who's this?" he looked over to Morrow for an explanation, but before the director could answer, the man in question jumped out of his seat and extended his hand, his body language oozing charm. Gibbs took an instant dislike to him, whoever he was.

"Samuel J. Miller the third, pleased to meet you, I'm -"

Tuttle cut him off without hesitation.

"He is Anthony DiNozzo Senior's attorney."

Gibbs felt his hackles rise up, quite literally. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his spine tingled. This was what his gut had been telling him yesterday. He turned to his boss.

"Did YOU know about this, Tom?"

"Said he was an attorney. Thought he was with the State."

"He has no right to be here," Gibbs growled.

"I beg your pardon, but -"

Gibbs leaned over the table to the man, his face red with anger.

"You GOT to this guy before he called me, DIDN'T you?" he bellowed, facing the man down. "How much did you PAY him?"

"MISTER Gibbs!" the highly offended social worker cut in.

"That's AGENT Gibbs to you, and you wait your turn, I'll get to you soon enough!"

"Director Morrow," the attorney all but purred. "Is this how you allow your agents to treat state workers?"

"They've never NEEDED to until now, Mr. Miller, but under the circumstances, I'd say, yes, I'll allow it."

Tuttle harumphed and Miller sat back down. Best to shield his private bits in under the table. No one had warned him that this Gibbs was half-crazy. No matter, he had the law and social services on his side. And he had finagled all manner of notorious deals for his boss in the past, this was just one more. Samuel J. Miller the third learned from DiNozzo Senior that there wasn't much that money couldn't manipulate, including people. Maybe especially people.

"You didn't bring the boy with you." Miller calmly announced the obvious.

"He's in the building."

"You WILL need to bring him here before this meeting is over."

Gibb's skin crawled again inexplicably. What WAS it about this man? DiNozzo Sr. was in jail, in solitary confinement, and as far as Gibbs knew, Miller had not been the council appointed to represent the man. So he hadn't even MET with DiNozzo since his arrest. Had he? Gibbs was sick of the man, sick of the feeling he gave him.

"And why is THAT, Sammy?" Gibbs asked him quietly. No hint of threat in his voice.

Tuttle sat up in his seat and cleared his throat.

"It's not our policy to just turn a child over to a guardian without a full and thorough investigation."

"And what the hell does SAMMY here have to do with that?" Again, his voice was calm, smoothing over troubled waters.

"He's here on Anthony DiNozzo Senior's behalf."

Gibbs slammed his fist down on the table, bringing the full weight of his fury with it. This was the answer he was looking for. The attorney, social worker and table all jumped at the same time.

"Anthony Senior is sitting in solitary confinement facing life in prison, IF he's lucky! He left his child behind to die, if we hadn't accidentally found him, the bastard would be facing the death sentence! He'll be tried for child endangerment, attempted murder, and those are just the STATE charges! So don't you DARE try and tell me you're here cause he's WORRIED what's gonna happen to his kid, cause he was on his way to Aruba to retire in STYLE while that boy wandered around alone in that house for over ten hours! He is eighteen months OLD! NO one was there to take care of him, everyone was told he was with his FATHER! So you DO your social worker thing, Mr. Tuttle, but so help me if you event TRY screwing with me, yer gonna need more than Sammy here to bail you out, they'll be fishing you outta the Potomac!"

"He threatened me! Director Morrow, he just threatened to KILL me!"

"He said someone would be yanking you out of the river. Never heard him say he was going to off ya."

"But he meant -"

"Mr. Tuttle." Morrow calmly countered the man. "I'm thinking you've gotten yourself in over your head with this particular case. I'd advise you to call in another worker who is not quite so- connected to the DiNozzo end of things."

"It won't CHANGE anything, steps still have to be followed, he still has to be vetted."

"We don't have a problem with that," Morrow assured him. "The problem we have is with you allowing yourself to fall in league with the devil. I'm not even going to ask what he told you to make you believe he needed to be here, or anywhere near this proceeding. I'm going to call Dolores Hathaway in on this, she's usually the one that works in-house with us on any child welfare issues. Unless you think she won't be unbiased."

"Ur, no, Dolores is a very competent caseworker, but -it's Sunday. I doubt she's available."

"Well then, we'll just have to wait until morning, won't we?"

"Well, uh -" Tuttle sputtered. Gibbs rounded on him.

"Get out, Tuttle, and take your slimy partner-in-crime with you!"

"Jethro..." Morrow warned in a low voice.

"They were trying something, Tom, they -"

"I- I wasn't!" Tuttle defended. "I was only doing my job, he called me yesterday and..."

"Mr. Tuttle, if you want to KEEP your job, I suggest you 'get while the gettin's good. Jethro here is about to go all Gunny on your ass any second now. That goes for you too, Sammy."

"My NAME is -"

Gibbs backed the man into the table without touching him, nearly tipping him over backwards.

"Your name is SHIT if you even THINK of coming near me or my son again, 'cause I WILL come after you with everything I've got, legal or ILLEGAL, I'll find a way to make it work and no one will even KNOW you're gone!"

"That's enough, Jethro," Morrow interrupted. "You've made your point."

"I damn well BETTER have, and I'll shove it up his Harvard ASS if he's not feeling it by now!" He whirled on Tuttle, who was trying to sneak out the door with his own privates intact, and pointed a finger right in the man's face. "I don't know what you were hoping to gain by letting him crash our private party, but if I find out he offered you money or a promotion or a Rolex to take my boy away from me, you will BOTH be lookin' at the world from the inside of the state correctional facility of our choice!"

Tuttle could barely nod, and was pretty sure he was going to wet himself if he didn't get away from the insane agent. Both he and Miller walked as fast and as dignified as they could out the door, and Tuttle all but sprinted for the elevator, nearly running an approaching Fornell and Tony over in the process. The Feebie wasn't sure he wanted to know what had gone on in the conference room, so he lingered at Cynthia's desk, showing off his new little friend.

"Do you think it's safe for us to go IN there?"

"Honestly, Agent Fornell, I'm not really sure. There was an awful lot of yelling going on and it sounded like most of it was coming from Agent Gibbs."

"REALLY..." Fornell smiled knowingly. "Go figure."

"I've been here since HE has, and I've never heard him yell that loudly. Whatever those two guys tried, I don't think they're going to try it again."

"Two guys? I thought it was just -" Tony tugged on Fornell's sweatshirt collar, and shoved Rabbit in his face. "Nevermind," Fornell huffed. "We'll wait out here. Just let Gibbs know we're out here, please."

"Yes, Agent Fornell. And Agent Fornell?"

"Yes, Cynthia?"

"I think he likes you."

"Yeah," Fornell agreed, a bit embarrassed. "Hard to believe, isn't it, but then again he LOVES Gibbs, so it's not saying much."

Inside the conference room, Morrow poured Gibbs a glass of ice water and made him sit down and drink it. He waited for the gunny to get his bearings before he started talking.

"Never SAID it was gonna be a CAKE walk, Jethro, just that we could expedite the process for you. Tuttle's not a bad guy, I checked his record and it's fine, I think Miller just convinced him you weren't the right guy for the job and he was gonna make it as hard on you as possible to see if you'd back down and walk away from the kid."

Gibbs let loose a small smile.

"You think he figures I'm the right guy for the job now?"

"Jesus, Jethro, you looked like a god damned GRIZZLY towering over a WEASEL!" Morrow was laughing, enjoying the memory of his favorite senior agent losing his cool. Gibbs was simply exhausted, feeling like he'd just run a marathon. "Go get your boy and go home, relax, get to know each other a little better. I'll call Dolores and explain what happened, have her meet with you back here in the morning. I'll also notify security that Samuel Miller the third is no longer permitted in the building."

"Why in hell would Miller be involved in this, HE'S got nothing to gain from keeping Tony from me."

"Well, Jethro, that's something you're going to have to investigate tomorrow after you meet with Dolores. Keep me informed, if you find something, let me know, we'll deal with it. Legally."

"Yeah, thanks, Tom. And thanks for being here and calling me off those two before they ended up on Ducky's tables."

"Anytime, Jethro. And Jethro. Just so you know. You need anything for the kid, or just somebody to vent to, you know you can call me. I want to see this work for you two as much as you do. And if your grizzly bear show was anything to go by, you two will do just fine."

"Thanks, Tom. I appreciate the vote of confidence. Kinda scared MYSELF with it, but damn, he was messing with my kid..."

"Yeah, Jethro. I know the feeling. Go on, go home. Tomorrow's gonna come up fast, now that you've got another full-time job. Oh, and I checked with the daycare center, they'll have a slot open next week, so maybe you can bring him by there before then and introduce him."

"Yeah, I'll do that, Director. Thanks for all your help."

"Oh, it's my pleasure, Jethro. You and your boy have been quite the talk of the town. Just doing what I can to smooth things out a little bit."

Gibbs gave him a tired smile and a half-salute, and headed out to retrieve his kid. He was surprised to find him in Fornell's arms in the outside office as the Feebie read to him out of an old Car and Driver magazine, and showed him pictures along the way.

"Hey, Bubba, ready to home and have some fun, look through all the new toys Abby brought you?"

Tony shrieked an excited laugh at the sight of his new best friend, and practically slid off Fornell's lap. Gibbs scooped him up before he could end up in a crying heap on the floor. The agent had forgotten - no, had purposely banished - the feeling of being that important to someone, and to someone who barely knew him. That jellied feeling he'd gotten in his knees down in Ducky's autopsy night before last returned in full-force, but he steadied himself and hitched Tony onto his hip.

"Sounds like you had quite the PARTY in there, Jethro!" Fornell commented as he straightened his rumpled shirt.

"Oh, you would have really appreciated it, Tobias. Let's go for breakfast and I'll tell ya all about it."


	14. Bear Pit, Part 12

**AN: Thank you, Bunny, for your lovin' and support and beta! You're the bestest!**

* * *

><p>Other than his life with Shannon, Gibbs had never considered himself much of a romantic. He tended to look at life in practical, cold-hard-facts terms; it was part of what made him such a good Marine and sniper. There was no room for gazing through rose-colored glasses, pretending something was going to be easier or more pleasant than it looked. Life was black and white, you either sucked it up and drove on, or you didn't.<p>

Somehow, though, in less than thirty-six hours, Gibbs had managed to don the rosiest glasses on the market, and now he was kicking himself with his steel-toed combat boots for allowing himself to wear them.

Child protection worker Dolores Hathaway had phoned him last night to set up a time to meet with him, and evaluate both himself and Tony. It sounded innocuous enough at the time, and she assured Gibbs that, while she couldn't make any guarantees, barring anything unforeseen, there shouldn't be any problem appointing the agent as Tony's legal guardian. And because Gibbs so wanted to believe her, he did, even though the voice that was his gut told him otherwise.

He knew having Tony with him 24/7 was clouding his judgment, and that nagging voice was telling him he was setting himself up for a big pain-filled fall that he might never recover from. But he wanted to believe her, so he did. And maybe his gut wasn't talking about this; maybe it was still echoing the morning's fiasco in Morrow's conference room with the misguided case worker and highly suspect attorney.

Those rose-colored glasses were currently being ripped off his face and stomped on as Child Protection Services worker Hathaway stood in NCIS conference room #2 and insisted that Anthony DiNozzo Junior be taken by her to a clinic for medical tests and doctor evaluations. And Gibbs was not allowed to join them.

"We need to evaluate all the information and results plus all of your information," she calmly informed him.

"But I'll be WITH him, I'll get him back at the end of the day."

"No, Agent Gibbs. You DON'T, we need to evaluate him AWAY from you at first, and then later WITH you to see how you interact."

Gibbs felt himself gripping Tony more tightly, as if holding the boy would prevent Dolores from taking him away.

"You can't DO this, he just got so he TRUSTS me!"

"And he'll trust you again once this is all over."

"No he WON'T, he'll be too SCARED, he has already been through enough!"

"Agent Gibbs, I'm sorry if this is upsetting for you, but it's the way it has to be done!"

"Why? Just because that's the way you've always DONE it? How will it hurt for me to be with him during the medical tests?"

"Agent Gibbs, I just explained to you -"

"And I still don't understand what you're TELLING me!"

"Yes, you DO understand, you just don't want to comply. And if you make any more FUSS about it, it will go on your record as being unable to look out for the best interests of the child! I WILL take him, and there's nothing you can do to stop me that won't reflect badly on you. Now please, I'm not trying to be cruel, I'm trying to do this by the book so no one can claim you got special treatment from us because you're a federal agent. Let me take him, I'll call you from the clinic with an update."  
><strong><br>**"You have to give me a minute then, let me try to explain it to him."

"Agent Gibbs, he won't understand..."

"Don't TELL me what he will and won't understand, he may only be eighteen months, but he's got a lot figured OUT in those months! Let me at least try."

He turned to the pack-n-play that held Tony and his toys, and scooped him gently up into his arms.

"Hey, Bubba. This gal here is Dolores, she's going to make it so you can stay with me, would you like that?"

Tony nodded his head slightly. Something told him he still wasn't going to like what was coming.

"You have to go with her for a little while."

Tony started shaking his head furiously and his started to fill with tears.

"It's okay, buddy, she'll bring you back!"

"Noo-oo, no go-o-o!" he pleaded.

"Tony, you HAVE to, I promise you'll come back to stay with me!"

"Agent Gibbs, you can't promise him that, you don't -"

"He is MINE and he's coming BACK to me and I'll do what I have to, to make that happen!"

"Agent Gibbs, you cannot threaten to -"

"I'm not threatening you, maam, I'm - "

Tony started to cry. This was all too much. He'd just started feeling safe and now... The sobs were unstoppable.

"No, Bubba, please, don't!" Gibbs begged. "I'll get you back to me as soon as I can, just don't cry, PLEASE!"

Dolores pulled Tony away from Gibbs while the boy was distracted with his crying, and Tony kicked and screamed at her.

"Bubba, NO, be a good boy! Don't kick her, she won't hurt you!"

"No go-o-o-o!" he wailed, tears dripping furiously down his little face, and whatever piece of Gibb's heart that had opened up and bloomed the past two days iced over and died in the storm that was Tony being dragged away from him.

"Dolores, PLEASE!" Gibbs begged, his voice barely audible through his pain. "Let me take him and come with you, I swear I won't get in your way!"

The case worker finally turned to look at the man, his broken voice making her unable to turn her back on him. What she saw stunned her into momentary silence. The lead agent had tears in his eyes. This just wasn't possible. She KNEW him, knew his reputation and had seen his bastard side unleashed on more than one occasion. This was...unnatural. Unthinkable. She watched as he struggled with all his considerable might to control his emotions, saw his jaw clenched so hard it was shaking.  
>There were days when she wished she had become the accountant her parents had longed for. And this day was one of them.<p>

"Agent Gibbs, I could lose my job."

He closed his eyes at this, and she could see defeat written clearly on his face. Bastard she knew he was, he wouldn't allow an innocent person to lose their livelihood simply for following orders. It was against his moral code, and she knew it. And she could use it against him to do what she needed to do.

"If you cause any problems for ANYONE, I WILL have you physically restrained and removed. And you are only allowed to stay with him for some of the exams, and then in a limited capacity. Then you'll only be allowed to see him if he becomes too upset to continue the tests. "

"In other words, I can wait outside the door."

"It's the best I can do." She turned her attention to Tony. "Ssshh, baby, it's alright...ssshhh."

But he wouldn't have it, totally ignoring her, and reached little arms out for his friend to take him. Gibbs swallowed hard, his resolve already tested, and they hadn't even left the building yet. What was going to happen when they started poking and prodding his kid and... He was across to Tony in one stride and took him from her before she even knew his intentions. Tony wrapped skinny arms around his neck in a death grip, still sobbing hysterically.

"Ssshhh, sshhh, it's alright, baby, you're fine" he soothed, rubbing circles on his back. " I'm gonna go with you, okay? I'm gonna carry you, Dolores is gonna carry your bag. Ssshhhh, please don't cry anymore, baby, every thing's alright."

Tony's sobs finally quieted to a few hitching whimpers, and Gibbs closed his eyes, his stomach still churning from what had just happened. For the life of him, he couldn't understand how both he and Tony had gotten so attached to each other in two short days, but it didn't matter, it was fact, and he was going to have to deal with it.

"Agent Gibbs, we have to go, the doctors are waiting for us, we're going to be late."

"Yeah, okay," the man answered calmly, but wanted to scream at her, _Can't you see we're in the middle of a meltdown here? _Instead he said"We're ready. Come on, Bubba, let's go get 'er done."


	15. Bear Pit, Part 13

Ducky was just getting ready to start a y-incision one of his unfortunate visitors when his office phone rang. He never seemed to get a call but when his hands were pulling out someone's heart to weigh, or sawing half-way through someone's skull. He sighed and put down the knife, stripped off his gloves, and very politely answered the thing. He was never gladder that he did than this time. It was Jethro, and he was in a state.

"Ducky, it's me, ya gotta come down here and help me, I don't know who else to call!"

"Calm down, Jethro, what is going on?"

"I'm at the clinic and they won't let me in with him!"

"Which clinic? Won't let you in with whom?"

"The - I dunno, the clinic the DSS uses, I - they didn't tell me the name, I'm here with Bubba and they won't let me in with him!"

"Ohhh, Jethro..." Ducky tried to hide his moan of exasperation and sympathy. "I'll be RIGHT there, just PLEASE don't do anything foolish!"

But Ducky knew better, and when he arrived at the pediatric wing of the clinic, he immediately heard the yelling, from both child and adult. He took a deep, calming breath and strode purposefully down the hallway, determined to help his friend through this no matter how much yelling and name-calling ensued. Indeed, that's what he was greeted with when he walked in room 214 and encountered sobbing like he never heard before from a child, and Gibb's roaring voice castigating the nurse who had been attempting to draw blood from Tony's little arm.

"MY WORD!" Ducky declared, "What on earth is HAPPENING in here?" The worried ME barged past the rattled nurse to find Gibbs being held back by two burly orderlies. Ducky knew that even twenty minutes into the evaluation, he had arrived too late. "Jethro!" he exclaimed in shock and exasperation. "What in God's name are you trying to DO, get yourself thrown in jail?"

"They made him bleed, Duck - "

"Well they were drawing BLOOD, of COURSE they made him bleed!"

"No, they wouldn't let me HOLD him while they did it, so he got scared and jumped and they stuck him in the arm with that big-ass needle! Duck, make them let go of me so I can go help him!"

"Jethro..." Ducky sighed, his voice part comfort, part admonishment. "Where is Ms. Hathaway?"

"She went looking for you." Tony continued to sob piteously. "Ducky, please..."

The waver in Gibb's voice and the frantic look in the man's eyes broke Ducky's resolve to tell the man exactly how things really were and that he needed to snap out of it.

"Alright, Jethro. Let's start with you going out into the hallway."

"Duck..."

"Aht!" Ducky held up a finger. "Just for NOW, and I will see what I can do to get him out of their clutches long enough for you to calm him down."

Gibbs nodded, and let the tension out of his body long enough that the orderlies loosened their grip on him a bit.

"Alright then. YOU, outside. You WAIT out there until I come for you!"

"Alright, Duck, just - go help him!"

Gibbs disappeared into the hallway under the steely gazes of the orderlies. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, clenching and unclenching his fists. Something told him he had not thought this through well enough. Maybe not at all. He wasn't READY for this, it was all too much. It was supposed to be a slam-dunk! Senior was in jail facing a myriad of federal and state charges, none of the Paddingtons wanted the kid, the kid had NOBODY, GIBBS had nobody, so what the hell was the problem? It was so SIMPLE! Why the hell did everybody keep making it so COMPLICATED? He ran his hands over his face in an attempt to regroup and suddenly smelled something familiar and enticing.

"Bubba?" His eyes popped open to see two emeralds still dripping tears and a sobbing, hysterical body. "Ohh, baby boy..." he choked out and pulled him out of Ducky's arms to squeeze him to his chest.

Ducky handed him Tony's blanket and they snugged it around him. He cradled the back of the boy's head and pressed him into his neck. "Go talk to them, Duck, find out why they can't use your x-rays and records. He's not gonna make it through the day and I won't let them keep torturing him."

"Yes, I already asked to speak with Ms. Hathaway's supervisor and their attending physician. Where IS Ms. Hathaway, by the way?"

"Looking for you. Let 'er keep lookin', she's the one that wouldn't let me go IN there with him."

"There are REASONS you're not allowed in there, she's just doing her job."

"Her JOB is to protect CHILDREN, how is this PROTECTING him? What've I gotta DO, Duck, get Morrow to call the President in on this? 'Cause I'll do it, I'll get HIM, and Fornell's boss and -"

"Calm down, Jethro. Take him down to the commissary and get him some juice. Wait for me down there, do NOT leave the clinic, or you will be minus a son and we will BOTH be out of jobs!"

"Alright, Duck."

"You must promise me, Jethro."

"I promise, Duck. I'll get some coffee. See if you can't find his rabbit, they took it away from him when they started trying to take blood."

"My word, don't they understand how fragile he is right now?"

"Tried telling them. That's when they tried gettin' me to leave. Might HAVE if they hadn't botched the blood draw and made him scream."

"I take it that's when the orderlies had to restrain you."

Gibbs turned his head and kissed Tony's wet, trembling cheek.

"Not gonna apologize for it Duck, not now, not ever. You don't take every last safety net away from a baby and then go after him with a bore needle." He shushed into Tony's ear and rocked him a little, trying to get the last vestiges of weeping out of his system. "I'll be down in the commissary. When they're ready to be civil, you come get me."

Ducky sighed wearily and watched the two disappear into the elevator. Things had turned out even worse than he had imagined. He heard the click of heels behind him and turned to see Dolores.

"Ms. Hathaway, I heard you were looking for me."

"He's right, you know." she stated quietly, looking down the empty hallway as the elevator doors swished closed. "He IS too fragile; he's not ready for this yet."

"I believe Jethro tried to tell all of us that."

"He just seemed so happy and well-adjusted."

"He IS, when he's with Jethro. He even manages alright with Abigail, but they've spent the most time with him. I'm going to ask your supervisor if we may use his existing medical records along with my recent x-rays for the time being. We can't subject him to that again, it's cruel, and it induces Jethro to commit justifiable homicide. He won't stand for it again, I can guarantee you that much."

'Yes. I'll recommend it to her. I'm also recommending Agent Gibbs as his temporary legal guardian. I've seen parents defend their children before, but I have to say, I've never seen anything quite like THAT. No wonder Jim Tuttle turned the case over to me, the guy's gonna be scarred for life."

"He made a poor judgment call in allowing Mr. Miller to attend that meeting. If he had done even a cursory background check he would have found out that the man was most certainly there to stir up some sort of trouble. I'm afraid Jethro won't let go of that for a long time, if ever. And this," he pointed to the exam room door, "no doubt will go down in infamy as the first SECOND major battle of Jethro vs. the World. I expect many more to come, so you'd best 'gird your loins' if you intend to continue helping him win the war."


	16. Bear Pit, Part 14

**AN: Thanks again to my Beautiful Beta Bunny, and to all those who read, review and comment! A big Gibbs Caf-Pow to all of you!**

* * *

><p>Down at the commissary, Tony garnered the sympathy and adoration of practically every employee and patron in the place. He was still fighting residual sobs and tears, having worked himself into such a hysterical mess up in the exam room. Gibbs had found an extra nuk in his pocket, and the boy happily sucked it in. When he got done being over-whelmed by the crowd, he worked himself out from under his blanket like a turtle, and wordlessly stretched out his injured arm for Gibbs to inspect, his lower lip still turned down and wobbling.<p>

"I know, baby boy, I'm really sorry that happened to you." He gently took Tony's arm in his hand and kissed over the Band-aid that covered the wound. "We're going to have something to eat while we wait for Ducky and then go back to work. Never shoulda left there in the first place."

Tony sniffed and sat up straighter to see what was on his plate. He was starting to develop quite the appetite and had eaten his entire children's plate when they had gone to breakfast with Fornell the morning before. Both the men had laughed at that, prompting the Feebie to warn Gibbs that he needed to start saving an extra few hundred bucks a month just to be able to feed the kid. It was a joke, but the both remembered the amount of food they'd each 'put away' in their growing years.

Gibbs held up a chicken nugget and Tony took it cautiously, looking it over. Judging by the child's inspection, Gibbs guessed the kid had never been offered anything like it in his past life.

"It's good, see?" Gibbs took it out of Tony's fingers and popped it in his mouth, making the boy's still-watery eyes widen. He held up another nugget and Tony took it from him and gnawed a small bite off from it. Deciding he liked it, he settled back into Gibb's chest with a sigh, one little hand still clutching the man's shirt sleeve.

Gibbs kissed the top of the boy's head, trying to calm his own frayed nerves. He knew this all had to be done, he just - there had to be a better way. He sighed too, and took a slug of coffee, wincing at its wimpyness. Of all the times to have to drink wimpy coffee... He felt the little body leaning against him heave another sigh, and said a prayer of thanks for having Ducky in his life.

He knew the older man was trying to help him through this without providing false hope in the event that the unthinkable happened and Tony was ripped away from him, a thought that sent a spike of fear through his well-worn heart. Gibbs tried to listen to his gut, which was pretty much telling him it would all work out in the end, but the stakes were wildly high in this game, with too many unknown rules and players. And he'd never been much of a betting man. Well, this time, and maybe a few more times in the future, he'd have to let it ride.

Both he and Tony were so lost in thought and relief that they didn't notice Ducky slip into the commissary a half hour later with a smile on his face.

"Well! And there you ARE, my boys! Have you both eaten?"

"Yeah, a little, Duck. You look like you have good news."

"Indeed I do! Dolores's supervisor has agreed to hold off on the court-ordered exams for now and use the information we already have. We thought perhaps in, say, a few weeks' time, he will be better able to manage a full going-over. And I will do the exam in the presence of yourself and a pediatrician."

Gibbs gave the man a rare full grin.

"That's great, Duck, we should've thought to do that to BEGIN with, it woulda saved a lot of grief all around."

"That's not the BEST news!"

"Really! There's better than THAT?"

"Now, Jethro, let me preface this with a warning. You KNOW there's a possibility, however slim it seems now, that a blood relative will want to claim him."

Gibbs swallowed hard and looked away from the man. It was a topic he just couldn't think about.

"That being said, in spite of—or really, BECAUSE of—your meltdown in the exam room, Dolores has decided already to recommend you as his temporary legal guardian."

"Temporary, Duck?" Gibb's voice rose an octave.

"That only means until all is clear and you can legally adopt him. Jethro, this is a huge step in the process, she has evaluated you ALREADY, on the basis of knowing your strength and character before this, AND on the basis that you fought to do what was right for the boy in spite of those orderlies trying to toss you out of there!"

"I did the right thing, Duck, she shouldn't be surprised."

"Oh, she wasn't, that's why she didn't want you in there for some of the procedures."

"So he can go home with me - for good?"

"Barring anything unforeseen, yes!"

"This is still under wraps with the rest of the team, Duck, things are still too unsettled with his father's case to lay that on them yet. Let's let the dust settle a little."

"They're going to wonder why you're bringing him to work with you instead of turning him over to child services."

"Protective custody, Duck."

"Yes-s-s. Under the protection of a father Grizzly."

"Seriously, Duck, I don't know what that scumbag lawyer was UP to, but I'm gonna find out, and in the meantime, I don't trust him not to pull something stupid. That's something else CPS hasn't thought of, I'll bet."

Gibbs squeezed Tony into him and kissed his head of blond curls again, looking off into the distance.

"Well then." Ducky stood up from the table. "Shall we head on back to the Navy Yard? Dolores is packing up a brand new diaper bag for him, courtesy of DSS and the clinic."

'"Didn't like what I had in the FIRST one?" Gibbs bristled.

"Oh, it was fine, this just a sort of welcome gift they give all their new clients. I'm sure you'll find things in there you haven't thought of needing yet. Come now, we'll stop off and pick it up and head for home - er, the Navy Yard." He leaned over and rubbed a thumb over Tony's tear-reddened cheek. "My poor boy, they DID manage to royally botch that draw, didn't they? Never mind, it's not a priority now, let's get you squared away first, THAT is our number one priority!"

"You think I'm making a mistake on this, don't you, Duck?"

"Not a mistake, Jethro. I wholeheartedly believe you two belong together. I just can't bear to see you devastated if by some odd circumstance you have to give him up. No, Jethro, by no MEANS do I think you're making a mistake wanting to keep this dear boy." He reached out and rubbed Tony's little leg. "I'm merely playing devil's advocate in my own head. You DO understand, don't you?"

Gibbs nodded. "I do, Duck, and I appreciate your honesty. I also appreciate you being here for us. I had a feeling I'd end up on the wrong side of things here."

"And so you did. Come, let's get to work now, I have some reports to write and YOU have an attorney to back into a corner!"

Gibbs stood up and settled Tony on his hip, then surprised the ME with a half-hug around the neck.

"Thanks, Ducky," he murmured in the older man's ear. "You KNOW how much this means to me."

Ducky cleared his emotion-clogged throat and patted Gibb's back in return.

"I most certainly do, Jethro. And you also know that I will do everything in my power to make everything go your way. You're exactly what the other needs. No one wants to see this succeed more than I."

He pulled away and sniffed, and Tony reached out and patted his cheek as if to comfort him. The ME's eyes widened in surprise, and he found himself at a loss to speak again.

"Yeah, Duck, TELL me about it. Had a few moments like that MYSELF with him. Not real conducive to keeping an unbiased opinion about the whole situation."

"Indeed not," Ducky said, finally finding his voice. "Come, young man, let's retrieve your luggage and go see what Abigail is up to. She has probably bitten through her fingernails by now worrying about you."

When the three showed up at Abby's lab, Gibbs and Tony were mobbed by a flying goth, wrapping her arms around them and squeezing the breath out of Gibbs.

"I was SO WORRIED about you two, I just kept getting this funny feeling in my stomach, but it's all gone away now! Everything must be okay, right?"

"Everything's fine, Abs, we're gonna go up to the bullpen for a while, he's not quite ready to be separated from me yet, we had a bit of an upset at the clinic."

"THAT'S why my tummy was tumbling! Alright, then, you come back down and see me in a while, we'll go have lunch and talk all about your trauma!"

She squeezed Tony's arm lightly, making a face at him, and he cackled at her.

"Alright, Abs, we'll be back in a bit. Figure out where you want to go for lunch so we don't waste time debating."

"Alright, Gibbs! Don't be all day, either, lunch means lunch, not dinner!"

"Yes maam. Come on, Bubba, let's go see what trouble Kate and McGee have gotten into since we've been gone. That oughta work up an appetite in both of us." He took off for the elevator, bouncing Tony in his arms as he went, trying to cheer him a little, like Abby had.

"Everything IS alright, right, Ducky?" she worriedly asked the ME.

"I think everything will be fine, Abigail. We crossed a big hurdle this morning. Now we just have to finish the race."

"Thanks for being there for them, Duck," she told the man sincerely. She wrapped him in a loving hug. "This has been hard for both of them."

"Indeed it has. But they WILL persevere through it. In the meantime, let's both get our work done so we may continue to help them do just that. I will see you at lunchtime, then."

"Yup!"

And with that, they went their separate ways, neither knowing of the next approaching storm.


	17. Bear Pit, Part 15

Chaos. The MCRT bullpen was in chaos. Both NCIS and FBI team members, seven in all, were having a bit of a tiff. A _loud _tiff. Over jurisdiction and bad judgment calls. And it kept on getting louder. Normally, Gibbs would have let 'em all howl for a while, until one of them decked one of the other team, with hopefully one of _his _team doing the decking. But this wasn't normal; this was way beyond any definition of normal. Because Gibbs was holding an 18 month old child in his arms and said child was about to spontaneously combust from all of the yelling and all of the strangers and just plain exhaustion. Gibbs could feel the kid shaking, revving up for some sort of well-deserved breakdown. He had half a mind to let the kid wind up and let them all have it, but it wasn't fair to use the little boy as a weapon. Instead, he put his hand to the side of the boy's head and pressed it to his chest, part comfort, part ear plugging gesture.

"Hey!" he bellowed. "Everybody knock it off, yer scarin' my kid!"

Silence. Everywhere. The entire floor. Pins could be heard dropping. Everyone in the bullpen stared at the big man with the small child held tightly in his arms. His own team wasn't sure if they were more startled by the bellow or Gibb's declaration as to whom the child belonged. The wondering didn't  
>last but a few seconds, as the seemingly shy and mild-mannered green-eyed toddler before them let loose with a wail chocked full of pent-up fear, frustration and not a little anxiety at being man- and- woman-handled from pillar to post. Gibbs thought they might have heard the kid in Guam. He also thought he might never be able to hear out of his right ear again.<p>

Without a word, he reached behind his desk, grabbed the child's diaper bag up over his shoulder, and stormed down to Ducky's office, all the time jostling and patting the sobbing boy's back to calm him.  
>Tony finally quieted and sighed.<p>

"_Atta_ boy, Tony." ,Gibbs commended, as much for the fact that the kid had scattered Fornell and his team to the four winds as that he had settled down for him.


	18. Bear Pit, Part 16

Holding the boy securely in one arm, Gibbs wrestled a bottle of formula out of the diaper bag and put it in Ducky's office microwave, waited for the ding, then shook it and tested it on his wrist. It was the only way he knew, and it had always worked for Kelly. Kels. _Don't go there now, Jethro, _he chided himself. The kid was hungry and tired and coming down with something. He could feel the heat radiating off Tony, and it wasn't from the wailing and crying, he was sure. He fished a bottle of baby aspirin out of the bag, and dragged a couple out with a long finger.

"You take one of these for me, buddy?"

Tony pressed his lips closed and shook his head.

"Make you feel better, kiddo. They don't taste too bad, see? I'll have one, and then you'll know."

Gibbs popped one in his mouth and chewed it up. He hardly tasted it, it was so tiny.

"Mmmmm, not bad. Here, _you_try one."

He put one to Tony's mouth, and the boy reluctantly ingested it.

"See? Not so bad, hunh? One more?"

Tony shrugged, which Gibbs took to mean, 'yeah, sure.', before the kid changed his mind. Ducky watched from the doorway of autopsy, seemingly unnoticed, but he knew better.

"Good boy, Tony," Gibbs praised. He maneuvered himself onto the couch, snatched Tony's baby blanket out of the bag, and popped the bottle into the kid's mouth, all in one smooth move. He waited until Tony was in control of the bottle and settled before draping the flannel coverlet over him and tucking him in. Gibbs heard the little boy give a tired but contented sigh, and brushed strands of dirty blond curls off Tony's forehead. And then it came to him: that lullaby he had learned somewhere, that Shannon would never let him sing to Kelly, and probably with good reason.

_Gather 'round fellows, I'll tell you some tales, about murder and blueberry pies, and heroes and hells and bottomless wells and lullabies, legends and lies._

_And gather 'round ladies, come sit at my feet, I'll sing about warm sunny skies. There's mermaids and beans and lovin' machines in my lullabies, legends and lies._

_Lullabies , legends and lies, and lies, lullabies legends and lies. I'll sing you a song then I'll shuffle along with my lullabies, legends and lies._

_I may make you wonder, I may make you smile, I may bring the tears to your eyes. But when I disappear, Lord, you'll wish I was here with more lullabies, legends and lies._

_So open the bottle and pass the guitar, and look in my warm lovin' eyes. I'll take you to places you ain't ever been before with my lullabies, legends and lies._

Gibbs stopped singing, and all that could be heard was Tony's quiet sucking on the bottle. The man sighed tiredly and relaxed into the sofa, closing his eyes for just a moment to regain his equilibrium. Ducky smiled at them, closed the door behind himself, and went back to his paperwork. Almost two hours later, Gibbs awoke with a start.

**Credit to Bobby Bare for his song 'Lullabies, Legends and Lies'**


	19. Bear Pit, Part 17

_Almost two hour later, Gibbs awoke with a start._

He felt something on his face, crawly somethings, and only his Marine-honed senses and training stopped him from leaping off the sofa and tossing Tony into the air. He sucked in a gasping breath, and closed his eyes for a few moments more to collect his wits. The child in his lap wriggled up onto his knees, and Gibbs had to think quickly to protect his most vulnerable parts from being impaled. He grabbed Tony's hips and stood him on his lap, and the boy giggled at being hoisted up so that he was now face to face with his new and best friend.

"You have a good nap, there, Bubba?" Gibbs asked, brushing damp curls out of Tony's eyes and checking the boy's forehead for fever at the same time. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ducky step from the shadows of autopsy.

"He's been such a good little lad through all this sturm and drang, hasn't he?"

"Tell that to everyone in the bullpen, I bet their ears are STILL ringing!" Gibbs replied.

"Yes, Abby phoned me after Caitlyn phoned _her _with the details."

"His fever seems to be a little better, Duck, you wanna check it?"

"Of course, I've been carrying the thermometer around for hours waiting for an opportune time to give him a cursory exam."

"Duck," Gibbs' voice had a warning tone to it. "He's been through a lot - I'm not even sure _I _know all of it yet - but I'm not sure how he's going to take to you looking him over."

"Well, needless to say, he's taken quite a shine to you, perhaps you can be my assistant in this."

"Might work. Gimme the thermometer."

"It only needs to be kept in the ear around a minute or so, then it beeps to let you know it's ready." He handed it to Gibbs.

"Got it, let me see what I can do."

Tony reached over to try to catch Gibb's hand and grab the device.

"Yeah, looks like something fun, doesn't it, Bub? Wanna see how it works?"

Tony nodded. Since he'd been in Gibb's care, the man hadn't heard two words out of the child's mouth. Just crying and laughing, which Gibbs still thought was an accomplishment considering all the turmoil the kid was being subjected to.

"Great, figured you did! See, this goes in your ear!" He stuck the thermometer in his own ear and watched Tony's eyes widen. "No, _really! _Stick it right in your ear, just like this! Wanna try it?"

"Un huh."

"Un huh!" Gibbs parroted him. "You sound like someone _else _I know! Here, let me put it in your ear, I'll be careful, I promise. Just gotta keep it in there a minute till ya hear it make a beeping noise! Then Ducky can look at it and tell ya what it says! Is that okay, Tony?"

The boy nodded, but Gibbs could tell he wasn't really sure.

"Good. Here we go, hold still." Gibbs unlocked Tony's legs and made him sit on his lap before he put the device in Tony's ear. The boy froze, waiting for something. There was silence while they waited, and it suddenly it beeped and Tony startled. "Oh, there ya GO, Bubba, yer done! Let Ducky have a look at it, see what it says!"

The ME leaned carefully over Tony's shoulder and peered at the numbers.

"One hundred point two." Ducky stated. "Not too bad, young man, probably just a touch of a cold, perhaps the start of an ear infection. We'll keep track of it, and Jethro will continue with the baby aspirin as per the directions on the bottle." Tony sank into Gibb's shoulder, feeling decidedly put out with the attention to his ear.

"Hear that? Yer good to go! You thirsty, Bub, you want something to drink and eat?"

Gibbs felt a little head nod on his chest.

"That a yes, kiddo?"

"Mmmm hmmm."

"Okay, let's see what the social worker packed in your bag."

"Cookies." A small, muffled voice answered him.

"She packed cookies in there for ya, buddy?" Gibbs felt another head-nod, and dug through the myriad of toys, books and clothes for the soft-sided lunch box the worker showed him. "Ah ha, here we are! These are MY favorite, too!"

He handed the little box of animal crackers to the boy to open, trying to give him back some sort of control over his situation. Tony expertly flipped up the top with nimble fingers and unrolled the tiny bag. He peered into the box, as if searching, then plucked out a cookie.

"Draff." he said, holding the cookie out for Gibb's inspection.

Gibbs sat back and studied the minute thing. "Yeah, bud, that _is _a giraffe! Good job!"

Tony pressed it up to Gibb's mouth. "You eat it, Bub."

"I share, da."

Gibbs ate it, knowing it wasn't going away. "Mmmm, good! You get one for yourself, now."

"He'll need something more substantial than those, I'm afraid. I'll have Abby-"

The words died on his lips as the very girl he spoke of barreled into the little office.

"Bossman! I heard everything! Ducky said you were taking a nap so I waited as long as I could and then I couldn't wait anymore!"

"Abs!" Tony called out, jumping excitedly and stuffing his little hand into the box of cookies. "Got cookies! I share!" and popped out a fistful of them.

"Hey, little man!" Abby took a cookie from him. "Thank you! Did you have a good nap?"

"What are Kate and McGee up to, Abs?" Gibbs asked, while digging in the bag for a bottle of juice.

"Well, now that they've figured it all out and recovered, Kate's on the computer ordering toys and books and clothes and..."

"Onh, cod," Gibbs groaned. "Abs, go tell her to stop!"

"Gibbs, it's too late, she's too far gone!"

Gibbs closed his eyes and grunted his disgust. He needed to get some new rules together regarding just who was going to be raising this child and how it was going to be done. But his gut was telling him he was probably going to be fighting a losing battle.

"What about McGee?"

"Well, he's - I'm not sure, he was typing up his report and trying to steer clear of Fornell."

"Okay, look." Gibbs sighed. "You take Bubba here back to your lab for a while, put 'im in that - 'stow n' go thingie and let 'im play with his toys and books for a while, I'm gonna go do some damage control and find him something to eat."

"No go, da."

"Gibbs!" Abby cried out. "Did you hear that? He called you da already!"

"Nah, that's just one of his made-up words, isn't it, Bub? "

But Tony squirmed in his grip. "No, da, doan wanna."

"See?" Abby fairly hopped. "He said it again!"

"Abs." Gibbs ground out in frustration. "He's only known me three days, he doesn't even understand the word - "

"Oh, Bossman, you'd better get with it if you're gonna be raising THIS little guy!" She plopped herself down next to them on the sofa. "Bubba, who's this?" she asked, pointing to Gibbs.

"Da! Tha's da, Abs!" He gave her a look that suggested she was slightly crazy and handed her a soggy cookie.

"Yup, that's yer da, baby boy! He's just a little dense, but he's a fast learner! You'll be teaching him all _sorts _of stuff, won't you, Bub?" She looked over and saw a suspicious glint in her boss's eyes and wrapped a supportive arm around his shoulder. "It's fate, Gibbs, destiny! You two were meant to be together, he just understands it sooner than you, don'tcha, Tony boy? Come on, let's go to Abby's lab and see what fun things we can find there, your da will come back and get you and we'll all have some lunch!"

She snatched the boy off Gibb's lap before either could protest and swooped out of autopsy, chattering nonsense to him to keep his mind off being separated from the older man. Gibbs sat in silence, staring at his empty lap and feeling a bit bereft. He didn't even hear Ducky beside him.

'"It's all a bit much to absorb so suddenly, isn't it, Jethro? And you WILL do just fine, Abby's right, there IS some sort of 'cosmic connection' between you and Anthony, which he DOES seem to understand and accept."

"_I _don't understand, Duck! Why _me, _of all people in the world? I wasn't looking for this, wasn't even thinking anything LIKE it! Then, bam, outta nowhere I'm toting around an eighteen month old who's already calling me dad? HELL yeah, it's a bit much, not the least of which I don't know if I'm doing the right thing for him, what if I screw it up, what if I screw _him _up, you know I'm not a candidate for Mr. Congeniality ! Maybe I should re-think this whole thing..."

The ME studied his friend for a moment and then spoke.

"Yes, perhaps you should. Decisions made in the heat of the moment often come back to, as Abby says, 'bite us in the ass.'"

"Who - who else would take him?"

"Well, I'm sure there are dozens of couples just in the DC area alone who would be happy to foster him to adoption."

Gibbs jumped up and started pacing. "And we'd never SEE him again, never - know what happened to him, how they treated him! You know damned well you can vet a couple to the enth degree and STILL find out they beat their kids behind closed doors! His own FATHER didn't have any qualms about laying into 'im -"

"Yes, I saw the x-rays." Ducky calmly interjected.

"Then don't tell me he'd be better off with someone else, Duck, he came to me for a _reason , _he _trusts _me, he only let you examine him cause I was holding him! What's he gonna THINK if I just hand him off like everybody else has?"

"You tell _me, _Jethro."

"He's never gonna trust anybody AGAIN, Duck, he may be a baby, but he's old enough to understand abandonment and I'M not gonna be another one to DO it to him! It stops HERE, with ME! I may not have a lot to offer him in the way of material stuff, but I can DAMN well make sure he's got a stable home and people who love him!"

"Yes, that you CAN, Jethro."

Gibbs ran a frazzled hand through his hair, paced a few more times, then looked up sheepishly at his friend. "You're a smart man, Dr. Mallard. I hope Bubba has enough sense to come to you when I'm acting like an idiot."

"Yes, well, one can hope, can't they? Go see to your team, Jethro, I'll finish up here and you can collect Abby and Anthony, and we'll all go for lunch, my treat. A celebration, if you will, and a bit of a respite."

"Right. Good idea, Duck. And thanks. I don't feel so out of sorts anymore."

"My pleasure, Jethro. You know that anytime you need - "

But Gibbs was out the door with a wave, eager to go settle things with Fornell and stop Kate from maxing-out her credit cards for stuff he didn't have room for. If anyone noticed the slight spring in his step on his way to the stairs, no one said anything.


	20. Bear Pit, Part 18

**Author's Note: Thanks to Bunny of Sparkiebunny for beta and support, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed, encouraged, and alerted this story.**

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><p><strong><strong>  
>By the time he'd gotten back to the bullpen, order had been restored. Fornell had had the good sense to round up his agitated crew and take them back to headquarters. Gibbs' team had had the good sense to wait for him to re-join them and explain a few things. Well, one thing in particular. They also had the good sense to wait for him to start talking instead of ganging up on him with questions. Or maybe it was just the exhausted look on his face. He really didn't care, as long as they behaved.<p>

"Alright." he started. "First things first. Was there any bloodshed while I was gone?"

"No, boss." McGee answered quickly, hoping to move on.

"Good." Gibbs took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the next round. "Alright. I'm assuming by all of your reactions before that you heard what I said about Tony. Honestly, it's not the way I intended for you to find out about it. It just came out in the heat of the moment."

"Soo-ooo- . Are you adopting him, Gibbs?" Kate ventured warily.

"Already in the works. Gotta be interviewed by a few more people and have my house inspected, but yeah, I think that because of the unique circumstances, they're gonna let me have 'im. The director's got it on the fast track for me."

"Wow, Boss, that's - wow." McGee stammered. "I can teach him all about computer stuff and -"

Gibbs cut him off. "Yeah, well, Muh-gee, I'd appreciate it if you held off a few years on initiating him into the geek club."

McGee's face fell, but Gibbs didn't care. One geek in the family was enough for now, and sometimes more.

"Well, at least I can teach him weapons and tactics, and maybe some hand to hand." Kate piped up.

"Kate, don't even THINK about talking to him about that kind of stuff until -" A sharp pang of protectiveness bit through him. "Maybe never. I don't know if I ever want him knowing that stuff."

"But Gibbs -" Kate protested, and was promptly cut off by Gibb's palm in her face.

"Hey!" he warned. "Enough! It's not a done-deal yet, and even if it is, he's MY kid, he'll get raised the way I see fit!"

Kate visibly deflated, but she wasn't finished yet. "But you ARE still going to SHARE him, right, Gibbs? I mean, you're not going to keep him away from us just because we're federal agents..."

Kate looked ready to cry, something Gibbs was sure he'd never seen from her before. He hadn't expected his team to get so attached to the little boy in such a short amount of time. He put a gentle hand to her shoulder.

"No, Katie, I'd never do that to any of you, and he needs all the family he can get. I just don't want him exposed to any more violence until he's old enough to process it and understand it. Like, when he's - thirty, or forty or something. Or maybe never. Not sure yet. Doesn't matter now. Let's just get this wrapped up so I can go home and get ready for the inspection."

"Do you need help with that, Boss?" Kate asked hopefully. "Cause we - I - bought a bunch of stuff for him already, I figured he could take it where ever he ended up."

"Alright, Kate, just - drop it off sometime tonight, you can all help me get it situated. The other computer-bought stuff we'll discuss later, and by the way, no more buying crap for him till we figure out what he actually needs!"

McGee fixed his posture and stood in front of Gibbs. "Boss, I'm - we're - really glad he's - that you're keeping him, we were all worried that he was going to - that he'd end up somewhere where we'd never see him again or know what happened to him."

Gibbs gifted him a quirky smile. "Oh, you'll be SEEING him again alright, yer all gonna be on bottle and nap and poop duty right along with me. He's not leaving our sight till we get his so-called family squared away.

"Squared away as in -" Kate questioned.

"Don't care, Kate." Gibbs answered darkly. "You know how I'd _personally _like to deal with him."

Just then Fornell swept into the bullpen, as if he'd been waiting to catch Gibbs making an incriminating threat. "You'd risk your career going vigilante for the kid?"

"I'd risk more than that, Tobias! He broke the kid's damn arm when he was barely a year old; you think there's any way I'm letting him near Tony again?"

Fornell's face seemed to lose some color. "Broke his - he broke his own kid's arm? A twelve month old baby? What the hell's wrong with the bastard?"

"Nothing a night-vision scope can't remedy." Gibbs growled, not looking up from his computer.

"Jeeze- us, Jethro!" Fornell swallowed hard, thinking of his daughter Emily and anyone doing that to her.  
>"I thought you were just pissed because he threatened you, I didn't know he was a monster!"<p>

"Yeah, well, now ya do, and if you ever start doubting it, take a trip down to Ducky's and read Tony's medical report. You'll find a bunch of bruises and a couple of cracked ribs in there. He's never going back to him. Anthony Sr. is gonna rot in prison, if he lives that long. No guarantees."

"Yeah. Yeah, I got it. Where's Bubba now?"

"With Abby. He needed some space, he doesn't feel good and all our yelling put him over the edge."

Kate insinuated herself into the conversation.  
>"We're all meeting at Gibb's place in the morning to set up his nursery if you want to help."<p>

"HELL, Kate, why not just invite the entire base to come help, you can cook lunch! And if we don't wrap this thing up, then it'll be ME setting it up and you all reporting in at intervals!"

"Got it, Gibbs. "Kate took the hint and skulked back to her own desk.

"Alright." Gibbs announced, rising from his chair and powering down his computer. 'Let's get something to eat and then meet back here at -"  
>he checked his watch. "Fifteen hundred hours and try sorting out this goat rope of a case."<p>

"Uh, Boss" McGee put in. 'Kate and I already ate, we ordered take-out.'

"Fine, whatever. Work on something constructive till I get back." he ordered while holstering his weapon and grabbing his phone. "Call me if ya need me."

With that, he strode out of the bullpen, and as Kate watched her boss leave, she grinned wickedly after him. "I wonder if he has ANY IDEA what he's getting himself into."

**. . . . . .**

Gibbs arrived back at the NCIS bullpen at exactly fifteen hundred hours, and found his agents actually working on a cold case they'd started before Anthony DiNozzo Sr. had hit town and caused a near-riot between the alphabet agencies.

The senior agent nodded his approval and stowed his weapon and badge back in their allotted desk drawer.

"So how was lunch?" Kate queried. "Did Tony eat anything, he was acting like he didn't feel well this morning when he was up here."

"You mean by wailing at the top of his lungs, Kate?"

Gibbs shot back, "Then yeah, he's not feeling a hundred percent."

"He had a fever, his eyes were funny."

Gibbs calmed, realizing Kate was genuinely concerned and not trying to impugn his parenting skills. "Yeah, it's being taken care of, and yeah, he ate some mac and cheese and a kids bowl of applesauce."

"Good. He's - . Good."

"Gonna say he's too skinny, Agent Todd? Cause, yeah, he is. Don't know if they withheld food from him as punishment or if they just didn't remember he needed to eat, but yeah, he's underweight. Won't last long with all of us shoving food down his throat like mother birds. Speaking of _mothers, _where's Fornell? Anybody seen him lately?"

"Ub - no, Boss, not for while, I think he left right after you did. Maybe he went back to his office."

"Nah, he wouldn't take off and not come back for this case." Gibbs stared into space, contemplating his friend's whereabouts. A grin cracked his face, and he left his desk and headed towards the elevator, "I know where he is. I'll be back."

Sure enough, Gibbs found Fornell exactly where he figured he'd be, in Abby's lab, cradling and rocking a sleepy Tony. Gibbs stopped short of teasing the man when he encountered the sight before him. He and Tobias Fornell were cut from the same cloth - burlap lined with fleece on the inside. He suddenly realized the effect this child was having, would continue to have, on his team and crew, on himself, and now even Fornell. The kid was giving back as much or more than he was getting from them. Gibbs couldn't stop the smile that came when Tony reached long fingers up to Fornell's mouth and the man gently took his little hand and kissed it.

"Not ONE WORD." the stoic FBI agent growled without looking up from the child.

"Wasn't going to SAY anything, Tobias. He has the same effect on me. "

"Don't understand it, Jethro." Fornell's voice sounded a little shaky. "How could anyone..." his voice trailed off.

"You read the report."

"Wish I hadn't. Had to come see him after I did, just to - know - "Fornell swallowed hard."-to know he wasn't...ahh, I don't know what I'm trying to say."

"To know he wasn't still in pain? Still damaged?"

"You don't- think he'll- ALWAYS be damaged, do ya, Jethro, I mean - he's little, he'll forget the abuse, won't he?"

"I dunno, Tobias, I'm no shrink, I sure as hell HOPE so, he's got enough of us smothering him every waking minute. Hell, I just took a two hour nap with him, how smothering is THAT?"

"Can't love a kid too much, Jethro. So, we'll smother it out of him, by the time he gets to be, what, four, five, he won't have any memory of his S.O.B. father OR his hands." Fornell looked back down at Tony, and smoothed a curl out of his face. "Right, baby? Me and your daddy and the rest of this - motley crew, are gonna be your family from now on. Nobody's gonna hurt you as long as we're around. Yer gonna grow up safe and happy and smothered."

Fornell took one last opportunity to blow a raspberry on his new nephew's belly, making the child giggle hysterically while Gibbs smiled and checked his watch.

"We gotta get goin', Tobias, I've got lots of stuff to finish before the social worker makes her first call. I'm not gonna lose him cause I forgot to do something important at the last minute. The rest of the team's staying here for now and reporting in to me."

"Great. I'll pick up some chow on the way to your place after work, then I'll help you put that crib together."

"You really think he's gonna stay in a crib, Tobias? Kid can't sit still long enough for me to get his SHOES on, I'm not sure a crib's gonna hold 'im."

"Prob'ly not, but you gotta make it look right for the social worker."

Tony squirmed in Fornell's arms and turned to Gibbs, reaching out for him. "Home da?" he asked,  
>his cheeks rosy and hair sticking up at all angles.<p>

"Yeah, Bubba, we're goin' home." Gibbs pulled him into his arms and squeezed him close, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of him. Fornell tried to hide his grin. "Don't GO there, Tobias, you're no better and I can rat you out faster than Abby talks!"

Fornell held up his hands in a show of defeat. "Alright, alright, point taken! Take your boy home, I'll see you there in a few."

"Ya hear that, Bubba? He called you my boy. Are YOU my boy?"

"Oh yes, da, da's boy!" Tony told him, reaching up and patting Gibb's face and giving him a slurpy kiss.

"Ahhhh, thanks, Bubba. Here, give one of those to Uncle Tobias." He pressed the boy into Fornell's face before the man could defend himself, and Tony laid a big wet one right on his cheek.

"Unca Toby's boy TOO, da!"

"Yeaahh," Gibbs drawled," yer uncle Toby's boy too, guess I gotta share ya with him, too." Gibbs laughed, but he didn't miss the emotion welling up in Fornell's eyes. The gruff Feebie didn't have a whole lot of friends, and Gibbs knew the man missed his daughter fiercely in between custody visits. Yup, it looked like Tony was helping to smooth over yet another wrinkle in someone's life and he didn't even have a clue that he was doing it. "Looks like you've got another buddy, Tobias."

"Yeah." Fornell cleared his throat. "Looks LIKE it. See ya, Bubba!"

"See ya!" the boy with big green eyes and blond curls mimicked with a cavalier wave.

"_My gawd." _Fornell mused to himself, walking out of the lab. "_We're in for trouble." _He saw sleepless nights of chicken pox, fevered nightmares, birthday party tantrums and battles royal over who was spoiling the kid too much. But the look in Gibb's eyes - a look he hadn't seen there in five years - all because a little old lady had happened to find a burn phone chucked into her trashcan and had had the sense to call the police.


	21. Bear Pit, Part 19

**Author's Note: Some of you noticed the chapters have changed sequence. I had to repost them in a different order in order to finish the **_**Bear Pit**_** series. I wrote myself into a corner with the series because of doing it backwards, and worse, doing a long flashback within the prequel. Let me tell you it got mighty confusing, and there are still some inconsistencies, but I think the story makes more sense with the chapters in more chronological order. **

**There are 2 or 3 more chaps, including this one, in this series, then the stories will go back to random one shots. There is a Christmas one-shot coming up soon too, as a chapter in Unconditional. Hope this all made sense. **

**PS - the chapters labeled **_**Lullabies, Legends, and Lies**_** and **_**Alphabet Family**_**, became numbered chapters towards the end of the _Bear Pit_.**

**AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU WONDERFUL BETA BUNNY, AND TO ALL WHO READ, REVIEW AND FAVORITE/ALERT!**

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><p>Before they went home, Gibbs made another trip to the bullpen with Tony, to inform his team of his plans and give them instructions for pursuing Samuel Miller. He had McGee tracking down all of the man's financial records and dealings, while Kate re-traced his wheeling and dealings for DiNozzo Senior. They were to call him hourly with updates, and go home when they hit dead ends.<p>

If they didn't find anything they could use on the attorney by the end of the day, Gibbs was stuck; this wasn't officially NCIS business, and Gibbs had no right to use company time on a personal matter. Both Kate and McGee knew that and said nothing, pretty much volunteering their evening to help Gibbs and  
>Tony. Kate kissed a shy Tony's cheek before his dad grabbed up their gear and sailed to the elevator. Both teammates watched them get in the car, heard Tony loudly yell 'Bye' through the doors, and turned to each other and burst out laughing. It was really a lot to absorb, and hearing the little munchkin voice echo out of 'Gibbs's office' was just too much.<p>

"Oh my God," Kate declared, trying to catch her breath. "I don't think Gibbs realizes what he's getting into. Oh well, I guess they can ENTERTAIN each other if nothing else."

"I'm happy for him. And maybe he won't be so grouchy with us from now on."

"Ri-i-i-ght, McGee. Sleepless nights from any and all crud that little kids come down with, worrying about finding a reliable babysitter when he can't get home from work...Yeah, McGee." She chuckled, picking up her phone and punching in a number. "You keep living in your little fantasy world."

**. . . . .  
><strong>

Fornell had kept his promise to stop by Gibbs place to help set up Tony's crib and in fact, was looking forward to it. Having the kid in their lives, in HIS life, no matter how peripherally, was like a shot of B-12 in the arm, overshadowing even the praise and backslapping he was getting for bringing down the boy's father.

He was sad about the way Tony had come to them - no kid deserved a parent like that - and he still felt some guilt about the boy being completely abandoned because his investigation caused DiNozzo Senior to flee. But now that he knew the man's violent past with his son, the guilt had eased a fair amount. If they hadn't nailed Senior when they did, he may have been reading the kid's obituary in the not too distant future instead of helping Tony's new dad set up his nursery. And he was more than a little honored to be included in the new dynamic - he knew more than anyone how protective a parent could feel for their child, and that Gibbs wouldn't let just anyone hang out with his kid. He was beginning to feel that same protectiveness over Tony, and knew it was pointless to try to fight it. What was one MORE emotional entanglement that could rip his heart out anytime of the day?

He let himself into the house and announced himself, heading for the basement when he heard no answer. There he found the two laughing again, this time over an old metal toy Tonka car Gibbs had found buried in a box of junk on his workbench. He was running it along the workbench, up Tony's leg, to his head, and down off to his other leg. Again, Tony was in hysterics.

"Good to know he can laugh, Jethro. Some kids shut down after being - treated like he was."

"Uh huh. Not gonna have him hanging onto that crap, gonna keep him busy and his imagination going. I don't think anyone's spent a lot of time playing with him. C'mon, Bubba." He hoisted the boy up on his shoulders. "Let's go put your crib together, I think yer gonna like it. Tobias, grab that pile of old pictures on the bench over there, they're gonna go on his walls."

Fornell looked down at the old framed prints. "You like Abby's border, then."

"Yeah, loved it. I was sort of surprised. Thought for sure she was gonna come back with something half-way between what I wanted and what she wanted. Skeletons on horses or something stupid. Duck your head, Bubba."

"Duck head. Duck duck."

"Yeah, too many ducks for ya, hunh, kid? Confusing." Gibbs grabbed his bottle of juice off the counter on their way through to the upstairs, and Tony leaned down and grabbed it from him.

"Thirs -ee!" he declared, taking a long drag out of it.

"Okay, well, try to keep it off your da's head if you can, I don't like sticky hair. Duck yer head," he instructed as he entered the stairway, and Tony squatted down, one hand holding the bottle, the other wrapping across Gibb's eyes. Gibbs almost stumbled on the first step, but regained his balance, shaking his head. "Yer a big help, Bubba."

Once they were in the nursery, he pulled the boy down off his shoulders and sat him on the crib mattress that was still on the floor. "Okay, buddy, this is YOUR job. You need to sit here for a few minutes and go through these books, see if there's anything in them you can tell me about." He handed Tony the pile of fat cardboard books Abby had found for him. "Uncle Toby and I are gonna set up your crib so you can sleep in here tonight. We're gonna be right here if you need us."

Tony nodded solemnly and picked up one of the books, and Gibbs noticed him concentrating hard on every page, as if he was trying to memorize it. _Good,_ _the kid likes books, _Gibbs thought to himself. _Chalk up another thing he and I have in common.._

A half-hour and five picture books later, it was standing sturdy, and Gibbs sorted through the basket of new baby clothes and found the freshly washed and dried crib sheets. "Grab 'im up, Tobias. I'll throw the mattress and sheets on and he can try it out."

Fornell gathered Tony and his books, and Gibbs grabbed the mattress, flung it in the crib, slapped on the sheets, and tied on the pillowy bumpers.

"Load him in, let's see if he likes it."

Fornell carefully raised Tony over the crib side and deposited him inside the thing, leaving him to sit there alone. They stood and waited. Maybe he'd like it, they were both hoping. Maybe he'd already spent so much time stuck in one he wouldn't -

Gibbs couldn't grab him up fast enough before the little face screwed up to launch into a heartbroken wail. Fornell quickly stuffed Rabbit into his hands.

"Well. Alright, that - didn't work out so well."

"What are ya gonna do, Jethro, he's gotta sleep in there."

"Yeah, well, maybe - maybe when he's tired enough, he will. Like - put 'im in there when he's sleeping. He can't keep sleeping with me, I thrash around too much. I'll roll over on him and hurt 'im."

"You're gonna have to figure something out, Jethro."

"I know, Tobias, you don't have to - "

Gibb's cell rang and he snatched it off the changing table.

"Yeah, whatcha got, Kate?"

"Oh, I've got lots, Gibbs, Samuel Miller has been involved in all SORTS of unsavory stuff, but no one has ever been able to touch him."

"Why the hell NOT?"

"DiNozzo clout, apparently. Probably bought off or scared off anyone who'd testify. No one's willing to go up against him in court or otherwise."

"No proof of money laundering or conspiracy to commit fraud, anything like that?"

"Nope. He knew how to cover his tracks. I hate to say it, boss, but I bet we could look for months and not find anything to nail him on."

"Don't have months, Kate, he's up to something and I need him caught before he causes big problems for me."

"We'll keep looking, Gibbs, but - "

"Yeah, I know, it's not our jurisdiction. Morrow's already stuck his neck out for me with Tony, I can't let him get in hot water over this. Go home, tell McGee to go home. I'll work on it on my downtime, get Fornell to use his resources on it, we might eventually come up with something."

"Alright, Gibbs. And Gibbs. Are you going to be in, in the morning, if we don't have a case?"

"Nope. We're off rotation till Thursday, you guys got some down time thanks to Bubba."

"Gibbs, are you really going to keep calling him that?"

Gibbs turned to the sniffling child in his arm. "Kate wants to know if I'm gonna keep calling you Bubba, Bubba. What do YOU think, should I keep calling you Bubba?"

Tony sniffed back a hiccupy sob, twisting Rabbit in his long, skinny fingers, and nodded his head.

"He says yes, Kate, so I guess if you don't like it, you can lump it."

"Lumpit," Tony parroted in a tiny voice, sniffling some more and making both men laugh.

"Wait, hold on, Kate, Bubba has something he wants to tell ya." He held the cell up to Tony's mouth. "Tell her, Bub, tell 'er what you just told me, say it as loud as you can."

"LUMPIT!" Tony croaked into the phone, and Fornell practically fell over laughing beside them.

"Atta boy, Bubba." They all heard Kate huff on the other end of the call. Back at the MCRT bullpen, McGee looked up from his computer at the loud noise that had come from Kate's phone.

"Is Gibbs YELLING at you?"

"No, his SON is yelling at me, apparently the old boy's club is in full swing at the Gibb's residence."

"Get over it, Kate." Gibbs had put the phone back up to his ear long enough to hear the conversation. "Go home and have a few drinks, watch a movie or something. Relax. See you at 08:00 Thursday."

He hung up the phone and threw it back on the changing table.

"So you don't like your new bed, hunh, baby boy? Well let's not think about it for now and go make something for dinner. You haven't had much other than animal crackers the past few hours. You gonna stay, Tobias?"

"Yeah, why not, was just gonna go home and watch TV anyhow."

"Hell, who needs TV when you've got THIS kind of entertainment? Got some beers in the fridge, go grab one and park your butt in a chair, I'll set 'im on the floor and you can watch him while I throw something together."

"Don't need to, brought pizza and wings."

"Yer ALRIGHT, Tobias! I don't CARE what Kate and Abby say about ya."

"Yeah, thanks," Fornell muttered as he cleared Tony's diaper bag and toys off the dining room table.

Gibbs dug out some plates, two beers, and a sippy-cup of milk.

"You're not gonna be able nail Miller, are ya?" Fornell asked, settling Tony in his highchair and snapping a bib around his neck.

"Not right now. Can't get any solid evidence on him for any charges, and it's not NCIS business. I can't put money and manpower into chasing a hunch that has nothing to do with the Navy. I'll work on it when I have time."

"I'll help, when I've got time. Don't think I can make it a second case out of Senior's smackdown, but I can nose around, see what's in the files."

"You do that, Uncle Toby. Keep me posted." Gibbs cut off the end of a pizza slice, removed most of the cheese, and handed it to Tony. As he did with most of the food Gibbs tried on him, he examined it before putting it in his mouth. Gibbs was certain this was something never found at the DiNozzo estate. Tony put the end in his mouth and tasted the dough and sweet sauce, his eyes lighting up with delight. "You LIKE that, hunh, Bubba? That's good, cause we'll probably have it a lot."

"Ducky won't let you get away with raising him on pizza."

"Ducky's not gonna be here EVERY night, Tobias, we can sneak a few in."

"Sure, if you SAY so, Jethro. I have a feeling Doctor Mallard will fast become Grandpa Ducky, and he WILL keep tabs on the kid's diet."

"Fine. He can eat salads when he goes to Grandpa Ducky's, then. Around here, we're gonna play it by ear."

"Gampa Duck." Tony repeated.

"Yup. Gampa Duck."

"I gotta be there to see his face when Bubba lays THAT on him!"

"Ohh, I think he'll like it more than you THINK, Tobias." Gibbs set the sippy-cup of milk in front of Tony and he sucked down a big gulp of it, only dribbling a little on the front of himself.

"When did he start using one of those?"

"Just now. Can't be suckin' on a bottle till he's six. He'll manage."

"Like it, Da."

"Good! You can have your bottle at nighttime and nap time. How's that?"

"Moe, peese." He wiggled his index finger like a worm towards the pizza. Gibbs cut off another piece for him and they all ate agreeable silence until Tony yawned hugely, pizza sauce covering his mouth and cheeks.

"Right," Fornell announced, standing up and stretching. "That's my cue."

"Thanks, Tobias. I'll let ya know how I make out with the 'you-know-what'."

"You DO that, Jethro. Oh, and, enjoy your downtime. Finally got something worth sharing it with other than yer boat."

"Amen to that, Tobias."

Fornell leaned over and planted a kiss on the top of Tony's head. "Bye, kiddo. Sorry we yelled in front of you earlier. We'll know better next time."

"Yes, YOU will!"

"So what're you gonna do in the meantime, I mean about Miller? It could take months to shake him down; we followed Senior for almost a year."

"I dunno," Gibbs answered as he wiped down an uncooperative Tony's face with a dishcloth. "I'll do what I can, keep my eyes and ears open, lock my door. I'm not gonna go live in a cave. He'll either be here at home with me or in daycare at work. I'll get Miller. He may have connections, but he's cocky, he'll start thinking he's got no enemies. Thing is, guys like him have nothing BUT enemies, sooner or later somebody will roll on him for something, now that he doesn't have Senior's protection."

"Hope you're right, Jethro. Guys like him cause a lot of heartbreak before they can be stopped."

"We'll take care of him, Tobias. One way or the other. Stop by when you get a chance, we should be around most of the time, gotta get all these toys and clothes washed and sorted."

"Sure thing, Jethro. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Will do, Tobias. Goodnight."

"Night, 'bias!" Tony echoed after him, dropping a tired head on Gibb's shoulder and a giving a little wave.

Fornell laughed and shook his head. "Night, Bubba. Glad you like that pizza."

Gibbs and Tony watched him drive away, then headed upstairs for a bath and pjs. Tony suddenly remembered his 'war wound', and made his dad kiss it again before a clean, dry bandage was gently put on it.

_One more battle scar for the kid_, Gibbs thought angrily. _Like he needed a new one._

He bundled the boy up in his favorite blanket and headed for the rocker in his room, grabbing a Golden Book on the way. The Pokey Little Puppy. He was only halfway through it before he found Tony sound asleep—not even needing a bottle he was so tired—and laid the boy gently down in the crib. But instead of going to bed himself, he stayed sitting in the rocker and watched Tony sleep through the bars of the crib.

All was right with the world tonight. He'd worry about Miller tomorrow.


	22. Bear Pit, Part 20

**Author's Note: This is the last chap. of the Bear Pit series, and then I'll go back to one-shots for Unconditional. Thanks for all who have read, reviewed, alerted and favorited, it's so much appreciated! And a big thanks to my beta Bunny, as always!**

* * *

><p>A few weeks after Tony's clinic debacle, Gibbs took him back there, where Ducky performed a full exam and physical with blood work under the watchful eye of both Gibbs and the DSS doctor. There were still<br>plenty of tears, but no real hysterics, and they'd even found that he had gained several pounds since his last visit. Gibbs refused to fess up as to all that he had been feeding the kid. He was healthy, and had put some weight on his skinny little frame, and that's all that Gibbs cared about for now. Gibbs had promised lunch and a special treat afterwards, and they'd all enjoyed the afternoon, Tony calmed by his Grandpa Ducky's soothing presence.

It was two mornings later on a Sunday that Gibbs received an unexpected visitor to his door, one of Samuel Miller's ex-employees informing him of the nefarious attorney's plans to embezzle Tony's trust fund.

_So THIS is what that dirtbag was up to_, Gibbs thought to himself. Well, now he had something solid, something he could give to Fornell and let 'Uncle Toby' persecute and prosecute the bastard. Or so he thought.

In the end, after dragging the man in for questioning, he again covered his tracks so well there was little evidence to charge him with anything. Gibbs now had the official trust fund documents secure in a safety deposit box, and although he was incredibly relieved that it was Tony's money the man was trying to steal, and not Tony, Gibbs wanted the man in prison for his past misdeeds and present intentions. But as in the past, the attorney walked out of the Hoover building unscathed, other than from Fornell's strong-arm tactics in the interrogation room. It seemed that very little intimidated or even fazed the man. He had been working for DiNozzo, and been under his tutelage for so many years, that if he felt fear, he hid it well. And he knew where to bury the bodies.

Well, so did Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and Miller was about to become one of them.

**. . . . .**

The D.C. air was starting to turn crisp, and morning joggers in the park could see their puffs of breath as they ran. The man sitting on one of the benches ignored them, keeping his head down and eyes on a  
>newspaper crossword puzzle. To the casual observer, his body language was easy and relaxed, but the man was far from it. He was there to meet someone, and glanced up and around surreptitiously, checking his watch for the time. The man he was to meet was late, and this man was NEVER late, at least not for meetings like this. Someone approached, but they were pushing a baby stroller, an expensive, top-of-the-line kind with all the bells and whistles. A man was pushing it, and the waiting figure's senses went on high alert. 'Things' could be carried in baby strollers and carriages. Bombs, silencers, all manner of dangerous and deadly things. He kept his eyes down and on the stroller as it slowly approached, until he noticed a small child walking beside the man.<p>

He relaxed some, deciding the stroller was being used for what it was actually intended. The kid just wanted to get out and stretch his legs, burn some energy. But he noticed the stroller stop, and be pushed over to the side of 'his' park bench. Okay, so maybe he DID need to be a little cautious. The man pulled the child up into his arms and sat down beside him. He was dressed casually - jeans and a Carhart jacket. And he smelled familiar. Old Spice. The man with the newspaper raised his head slowly, as if debating whether to talk to the stranger or not, and saw the well-known face.

"What the HELL, Gibbs?" he asked quietly. "Some new undercover assignment, or did you finally get demoted to daycare worker? What the hell are they thinking at NCIS these days?"

"Not undercover. My kid. Need something done for me."

The other man shrank back in his seat a little.

"Don't fu - freaking MESS with me, Gibbs, I've got better things to do!"

"Not messing with you, need you to have a talk with an attorney."

The man started to rise off the bench and Gibbs stayed him with a strong grip on his forearm.

"Sit. Listen."

The man set to leave was not accustomed to being given orders by the likes of Jethro Gibbs. He set his jaw, but sat back down. It must be important to the team lead, so maybe it could be profitable for him. But his head turned away from Gibbs when he spoke.

"Not going to get in the middle of one of your loathsome divorces, Gibbs. I don't do custody battles."

"Not about custody. Already got that. This is about keeping the man out of our lives. He used to be the kid's father's attorney."

"And his father is..?"

"Anthony DiNozzo."

"My gawd, Gibbs, you really DO like to play with fire, DON'T you?" The man sighed, as if already totally weary of the conversation. "And you need me to convince his father to sign over custody of him to you."

"No, that's already been done, ended up being part of his sentencing deal."

"Alright, what's the problem, then?"

"The problem is DiNozzo's ex-attorney. Seems he can't leave the old ways behind and I don't have the time or money to go through the courts to get him thrown in prison, he skates every time one of us tries to nail him. He was getting ready to make off with a trust fund of Tony's when one of his employees caught him and blew him in."

"So you can't nail his ass with that?"

"He'll get arrested, make bail, skip town and manipulate the courts. Tired of dealing with him, I want to enjoy my time with Bubba, not be chasing after crap like him."

"So you want me to take care of him."

Tony started to fuss, so Gibbs pulled a nuk out of his jacket pocket, popped it in his mouth, and handed him Rabbit.

"I want you to put the fear of God in 'im. Don't kill 'im, I don't want that on my head, just -"

"Torture him a little?"

"Not even that. Scare the shit out of 'im. I did it once, but it wasn't enough, didn't last. You're a lot better at making a permanent impression. I don't mind a dent or a break as an impression. Just don't cripple 'im. Just want him to get the message that he doesn't mess with me and mine. I'd do it myself, but I'm not in that line of work anymore, can't get away with it. Besides the fact I'm not half as scary as you."

"What do I get in return for this favor?"

"Can't really TELL ya that off-hand, but I'm sure you'll think of  
>something. Just let it be something I don't lose my job over. Got a kid to feed and put through college now."<p>

"Thought you said he had a trust fund."

"Tied up in the courts cause of this goatrope lawyer."

"The man you want me to have a meaningful talk with."

"Yup. Not gonna hold my breath waiting for the money. Might have it next week, might be retired by the time he sees it. So, just - try to make your favor something that's not gonna get me killed or thrown in  
>prison. God help me if I end up there and that dirtbag doesn't."<p>

"Name and current location?"

"Samuel Miller the Third. Georgetown. ASAP. Let me know how you make out."

"How?"

"Don't care. Smoke signal, email, carrier pigeon, I'll know it's you."

"Of course you will. You still speak my language, even though you DID defect to another country."

"Hell, I defected to a whole other UNIVERSE!"

"You're not kidding." The other man reached a hand out and cautiously tweaked Tony's jacketed arm. The boy stared at him as if he were a sea creature, looked back at Gibbs, then to the other man. Out of nowhere he threw Rabbit at him as hard as he could."

"Good judge of character, Bubba!" Gibbs laughed and tickled his ribs. The other man retrieved the stuffie, looking a bit spooked that the little boy had seen something in him that made him want to defend himself and his father the only way he could. He held the rabbit out to Tony, who refused it with a hard shake of his head. Gibbs took it from the man and put it in his jacket pocket.

"Later, Gibbs," the other man said quietly as he stood up. "And YOU, young man, keep taking care of your papa; he needs all the help he can get."

And with that he turned and walked away, disappearing into the morning thrum of park sidewalk traffic. Gibbs bundled the blanket around Tony and put him back in the stroller.

"Let's go home and work on our boat, Bubba."

** . . . . .  
><strong>

Three days later Gibbs received a cryptic message on his home answering machine, the gravely foreign voice telling him:

"Favor granted. Sufficiently impressed. New nose job. New dental work. New attitude. Entirely new outlook on life. Check with Morrow in the morning for further information. And good luck with the new job, I think he's going to be a hell of an employer."

When Gibbs came in to work the next morning, his boss had already arranged a quick meeting with him. He handed Gibbs a sealed manila envelope, claiming ignorance of its contents or sender, only that it had been delivered to him to give to his lead MCRT agent. Gibbs looked for a return address, any information, but came up empty. His name only on the outside.

"Thanks, Tom. I have no clue what it's about, but if it's about a case, you'll be the first to know."

"I'm sure I will, Jethro. By the way, how's the Bubba, haven't seen him in a while."

"Oh, he's doin' great, thanks. Abby's got 'im doing flashcards already, not sure what I think about that yet."

"Sounds pretty smart to ME, Jethro."

"Yeah, well, I'm more interested in him being able to problem solve. Brains don't do a damned bit of good if you don't have a lick of common sense."

"Too true, Jethro. Bring him up here some time, I'd like to see him."

"Sure, Director, I can do that."

Gibbs smiled at Cynthia, who was waiting at the door, and slipped by her. He was anxious about the envelope; after the last couple of months of waiting for anything to throw a wrench into his plans to  
>adopt Tony, his guts still weren't totally settled down. He hurried to his desk, donned his reading glasses, and unsealed the envelope. Pulling out its contents, he recognized it as legal documents, and his<br>insides gave a lurch.

_Didn't matter anymore what it was_, he told himself. Tony was his free and clear, no lien on him from any fringe family member. Anthony DiNozzo had signed custody papers over to Gibbs as part of his sentencing deal, shaving some time off his probation and allowing him to enter the witness protection program. That was the only way Fornell would allow any alternative other than prison, his early Father's Day gift to Gibbs. Gibbs was more than ecstatic, and was able to eat and sleep properly for the first time in weeks.

What he found as he reviewed the papers nearly knocked him off his chair. They were signed and notarized bank documents indicating that a trust fund had been established and deposited in Gibb's bank in both Tony and Gibb's name. THE trust fund, the one that had been the cause of some sleepless nights for Gibbs before he found out that it was what the quack attorney was after, and not Tony. It was for well over a million dollars, started by his mother with some stocks, bonds and shrewd market maneuvers, and  
>accumulating interest for the last three years.<p>

How it had landed from out of who knew where and into his bank was a mystery to him, until he thought of the end of the cryptic answering machine message. Somehow, and for reasons unknown, the man had pulled enough strings to locate the fund and cut through the legal red tape to secure it at Gibb's bank. Well, though he certainly didn't mind the security the fund afforded, he hadn't asked his frenemy to do this for him. He refused to owe the man twice; once was way more than enough. He could only imagine what unsavory deed he would have to perform to repay that debt.

Didn't care, though, he would do it as long as it was within the guidelines he had laid down. So, two huge battles fought and won. And many more small ones to fight, he was sure. But he thought of the smile that would light up his little boy's face when he walked into daycare to pick him up at the end of the workday, and the dozens more in between then and bedtime, those future battles dimmed and decreased in size and number.

Today - that was the only time he could think about, that had any real meaning to him. All that he could manage, because he knew from painful experience tomorrow didn't always come for everyone he wanted it to. He stowed the documents back in the envelope and stuffed it in the side drawer of his desk. Then he looked at his watch. If they didn't catch a case today, only seven hours and 45 minutes before he got to go pick up his boy and go play.


	23. Christmas Treacle

**Author's Note: A bit of holiday treacle for you all! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Leroy Jethro Gibbs was not a church-going man. Neither was he a God-fearing man. Neither God nor church had anything to offer him in this lifetime that would soothe the savage beast in his soul, nor scare him into worrying about his own mortality. Or so he had thought for the last few years, until that fateful night at the DiNozzo estate.<p>

And so he sat, Christmas Eve, in a pew in the little stone church down the street that, while he loved its architecture and spaghetti dinners, he had never attended even one of its services. There had been a nice little dinner put on before the service by some of the parishioners, and he and Tony had thoroughly enjoyed gossiping and mingling with the other attendees. As usual, his son had charmed them all, chattering about the Christmas lights and displays they had stopped to admire on their way to the church, and of the toys he had helped his daddy make in their basement. (Tony had mostly watched and supervised and generally gotten in the way, but his dad had patiently listened and answered questions, and kept his little thumbs from getting smashed with the woodworking tools.)

Now they were listening to the service itself, a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, and somewhere in the middle of the Third Lesson, Tony had sunk down into the pew, the big dinner and busy days finally getting to him. He yawned hugely and looked up at his dad with a happy face, but owlish eyes. His dad unfolded Tony's blanket from the diaper bag, spread it on his lap, and picked up his son and deposited him on it. Tony stretched and grinned up at him as Gibbs gathered him in the blanket and into his arms. Tony adopted the usual pose he took in his dad's arms - a thumb in his mouth and a fist clenching his shirt or jacket. He still needed that security from his dad, and Gibbs was never at a loss to provide it, looked forward to it, in fact. He chuckled to himself as he squeezed the warm little body to his chest, thinking about what Abby had said to him earlier in the week, that he was a big old bear and Tony a pot of honey. He'd smirked and kissed her cheek, but it had actually warmed him down to his marrow, and he'd been a little stingier with the barks and growls that day.

What had prompted him to bundle up his kid and walk down to the Christmas service he wasn't sure, but sitting in the pew with his newly officially adopted son snuggled in his arms, he only half-listened to the readings and music. He closed his eyes and rocked Tony just enough for it to be effective without it bothering his neighboring parishioners, letting his mind relax and wander. He buried his nose in Tony's curls and brushed fingers through them, inhaling his baby scent, and wishing the kid could stay this age for longer than a day. He heard the strains of the church choir in the loft above and behind him.

_Oh Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night, of our dear savior's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till he appeared, and the soul felt its worth._

How long had Gibbs lived in that black cloud of his pain-filled past, never believing that there was any kind of redemption for him, any lightening of his soul? And yet, here he held that very thing in his arms, here his own version of a savior, who reached little fingers up to his face for reassurance and comfort.

_A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn._

It WAS a new morn for Leroy Jethro Gibbs, it was Christmas every day for him now. He still felt the ever-aching pull of Shannon and Kelly on his heart, and knew that would never go away - wasn't sure if he even wanted it to. But he had hope now, his weary heart had something to rejoice over.

_Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices, oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born._

He grasped the hand that was so tiny in comparison to his own and kissed it gently, smiling with twinkling eyes down at the boy cradled against his chest. Tony smiled sleepily back at him around his thumb, and Gibbs thought his heart might burst with love for this child. His child now. He watched Tony's eyes shut completely in sleep, and for the first Christmas in years, his soul didn't ache.

_Oh night divine_, _oh night, oh night divine._


	24. Sunday Morning Surprise

**Summary: Gibbs and Fornell hang out in the basement when Gibbs has some free time to himself.**

* * *

><p>It had finally happened - Abby and Kate had talked him into letting them take Tony for the day, and Gibbs was less than thrilled. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, he knew both of his girls would guard his boy with their lives, it was just, well, Tony wouldn't be within reach if he needed his dad, either playing on the floor or waiting for him in daycare. He'd only had the kid for a month, but he was a little attached to him. Okay, a lot attached to him. But the gals had insisted he needed a day just to himself to regroup, do grown-up things.<p>

And maybe they were right. It had been a stressful few weeks, getting Tony's adoption sorted out and settled, and he'd hardly had a moment to catch his breath. He'd spent hardly any time on his boat, his truck needed a tune-up, and he hadn't cleaned out the garage. Oh yeah, there were dozens of things he could do.

So he'd sent his boy off with a kiss and a wave, ordered them not to buy out the toy store, and turned and shut the door. It was only 0:900. He had hours to clean and organize and putter, or just work on his boat. Hours. Sooo...What to do...He decided to start in the basement, see what lumber scraps he had down there. Tony needed a toy box, his dad was tired of stepping on Legos and plastic farm animals in his sock feet.

Gibbs scanned the racks of lumber, eyed up a couple large pieces of plywood, and dragged them out. He uncovered a marking pencil and tape measure and soon had the squares blocked out and cut. He still used his handsaw. It felt good to work his muscles, smell the sawdust, feel the rasp of teeth on board. He missed it, working with the wood, and decided to buy another playpen so he could start working down there again.

Reaching over for the carpenter's glue, he heard a noise upstairs. Maybe the girls forgot something. Maybe Tony missed him already and needed to come home. He hurried up the stairs, expecting to grab up a sobbing kid, and instead came face to face with Fornell.

"Oh. It's you."

"Well!" the Feebie huffed. "Don't look so happy to see me! Who were you expecting?"

"Uh - no one, just - didn't know who was here."

"Where's the Bubba, kinda early for nap time, isn't it?"

"With Kate and Abby," Gibbs said over his shoulder on the way to the kitchen. "They wanted him to themselves for a day and figured I could use a day to myself."

"And you thought they were bringing him back 'cause he was having separation anxiety."

"No, Tobias, I - yes, okay, I was, you want coffee?"

"Of course I want coffee, I brought sweet rolls, figured I'd share 'em with Bubba. We'd better save a couple for him; he'll smell 'em on ya and have a fit."

"Yeah, he probably would."

"So how long has it been since he's been gone?"

Gibbs checked his watch. "One hour, 48 minutes."

"Woooh. Got a long time left, Jethro, how ya gonna manage?"

"I'll manage just fine, Tobias, no different than when he's in the daycare."

"Yeah, but most of the time you can run down and see him if you start missing him."

"I do not 'run down and see him' when I start missing him. I've gone hours at a time without seeing him. Yesterday we were out in Fredricksburg most of the day, didn't get back to the office till almost seven."

"Talked to 'im on the phone, didn't you?"

"Twice." Gibbs stuffed almost an entire sweet roll into his mouth so he wouldn't have to answer to that little admission.

Fornell chuckled around his coffee cup. "Ahh, Jethro, it's hopeless. Unless you're some heartless bastard like DiNozzo Senior, you're a goner. Sometimes I can't stand how much I miss Emily."

Gibbs just chewed and swallowed his sweet roll, and washed it down with half a cup of coffee, never looking at Fornell, unwilling to join the man in contemplating missing their daughters. Fornell felt the man's discomfort and changed the subject.

"So how long do you think it'll be before the girls coming running in here with him screaming for you?"

Gibbs smiled at that. "Oh, I think we might both be surprised at that, Tobias, he's pretty crazy about both of them, I think he'll let 'em keep him out for quite a while. Lord knows all the crap they're gonna feed 'im and buy 'im, he'll probably never wanna come back home!"

"Wouldn't bet on it, Jethro. Candy and toys are nice, but we _both _know he'd rather have _you _around _any _day. I give 'im, mmmm, say, till after lunch? By then he'll be good and cranky cause he's ready for his nap, and he won't want anybody but you."

"Enh, Abs took his favorite blanket, he likes to snuggle with her. He'll be fine, they'll let 'im sleep in the stroller while they shop for themselves." Gibbs finished off his mug of coffee and stood up from the table. "I was starting to build him a toy box, wanna help or have you gotta be somewhere?"

"Sunday morning, no cases, nowhere to be. Let me grab another cup of coffee, this is only my second of the day."

Fornell topped off his cup and followed Gibbs to the basement. He was getting to be a frequent visitor to the place, and it he had to admit to himself that besides the custody hours that he spent with his daughter, spending time with Gibbs and his goofy, sweet kid was now his favorite past time. Gibbs didn't mind sharing, knowing that he got to have Tony 24/7 and no one else did, and that it kept Fornell from spending his off-hours sitting at home, or worse, in a bar, drinking and thinking. So the three of them worked on a myriad of projects, from building bird houses to Christmas presents to window boxes. Sometimes they even just talked over coffee, well, Gibbs and Fornell mostly, with Tony chiming in when he had something of importance to contribute.

Fornell eyed the toy box, surprised at its simplicity. "You mean yer not gonna carve it out of birdseye maple or something? Just plain old plywood?"

"It's a toy box, Tobias, not a hope chest. Just need something to throw his damned plastic goats and cows in so I don't keep steppin' on them in my bare feet. Those things hurt like a sonofapupwhen you get 'em stuck under your toes. This way he has something he can reach that he can just dump everything in when he's done playing."

"You're gonna paint it, though, right?"

"Yeah, sure, be my guest. Pick out something from the shelf there, I'll slam it together."

"He's changed you, ya know, Jethro."

"I sure as hell_ hope _so, Tobias. And while we're talkin' warm n' fuzzy, I noticed _you've _gotten a little soft around the edges, too."

"Long as we don't let it interfere with our jobs, Jethro. We can still remember how to be bastards at work."

"Oh yeah, not a problem for me."

"Huh, right, till somebody calls ya from daycare to check on his dad."

"Hey, that doesn't count, he doesn't work for me, I work for him."

"You sure do! And I've _heard s_ome of your conversations with yer boss! 'You want sketti and meatballs or Sloppy Joes for dinner tonight? You pick out a movie you wanna watch tonight? Did you find your pink pig in your bag or do you need Daddy to find you a new one on the way home..."

"Enough, Tobias!" Gibbs griped, grabbing up a jar of nails and a hammer."Who's the chucklehead that bought him his first toy, Mr. Wabbit, or the fifteen damned pairs of railroad overalls and conductor's hat? Or..."

"It was _not _fifteen pairs, it was 4, in different sizes for when he grows out of them, and they were on sale!"

Gibbs harrumphed and grabbed up the wood glue, spreading a fine line on the edges of two of the boards. "Here, make yourself useful and hold that up while I pound some nails into it. Not gonna spend the whole morning on this thing, got lots to do with my day."

"Yessir, Gunny, sir."

"How the hell many times do I have to tell you and everybody else that non-enlisted grunts do not get called 'sir'? How difficult a concept is that for people to understand?"

"Very difficult if you've never been in the military and had a sergeant scream it at you every day. I do it mostly to piss you off, though, sort of like Ms. Sciuto. By the way, where are Ms. Sciuto and her partners in crime headed to today?"

"Oh, they had big plans, but who knows how far they'll get with them. I'm hoping they hit the mall first and get 'im good and bored so he'll be too cranky and tired to take to the toy stores. "

"Ah, another mall hatin' man."

"He'll tolerate it for a little while with me, but only cause we only hit Sears and the food court, I don't drag 'im around to every store and kiosk. They're gonna wanna shop for clothes for 'im and he won't have it, especially if they start dressin' 'im up in idiotic shit. Abby tried it once already, but you know her and Kate, they're gonna think that two of them together will distract him."

"_Distract him,_that kid doesn't miss a fly on the damned wall twenty feet away, good luck to them!"

"Yup!" Gibbs answered proudly, pounding in three nails in a row. "They'll learn, eventually. Took me three weeks to get him to sleep in the nursery. He doesn't like to be pushed."

"Yeah, I've been gonna _ask _you about how that worked out with the crib, never got a chance."

"Oh, he _hated _it. Not the crib itself, the being away from me part. So I put the whole thing in my bedroom. Every day when he wasn't lookin' I moved it further away from my bed, till one night it was magically back in the nursery." Gibbs hammered in three more nails in a minute's time. "Gotta sneak up on that boy _very _carefully."

"Make a good Marine like his dad."

"No way in hell, Tobias. Not lettin' him go off to some hell hole and get tortured and killed."

"You may not have a choice if that's what he wants to do."

"He won't. I plan on steering him in another direction."

"And what direction would that be, Jethro?"

"I have no idea. Just one that doesn't involve weapons and blood and death. Mason, carpenter, engineer, hell, interior decorator for all I care, just not a soldier or a cop. So don't go fillin' his head with FBI war stories when he's older, or my Marine war stories. They're only glamorous to hear, not to actually live through."

"I love my job, Jethro, so do you. And you loved being a Marine."

"I was _good_at being a Marine. Didn't mean I liked it. Just was a good fit for me at the time, got me out of Stillwater and focused on something for a change. Thought I was gonna fall down and die my first week of boot camp. I was just too stubborn to quit."

He ran more glue along two more edges of the box and slapped them together, and Fornell moved in to hold them while Gibbs slammed in the nails with ruthless efficiency.

"Bubba's not a Marine, Tobias. He may have a lot of the right qualities, but he won't go that direction, not according to my gut. Anyways, that's way too far off to even think seriously about. Right now I can barely keep up with his toys and diapers, I don't need to be worrying about what the hell he's gonna be when he grows up. He'll figure it out for himself when he needs to."

"Yeah, yer right, I'm sure he will." There was a long pause in the conversation while the two men repeated the gluing and nailing of the other two box sides, and Gibbs pushed it over to his assistant.

"There ya go, Tobias, get painting. I need another cup of coffee, I guess, want yours topped off?"

"Nope, I'm good." Fornell picked up his mug and took a long drag of it, giving Gibbs a meaningful look over the edge.

"What, Tobias? You want me to carve his name in it or something?"

"Nope. I was just gonna say thank you."

"For what? My one-of-a-kind coffee?"

"No. For letting me be a part of your crazy kid's life."

"Ah, Tobias..."

"No, now let me finish...you know how guilty I felt when I found out that Senior had left him in that house alone...but this isn't about guilt anymore, this is about...I dunno, karma, fate, sheer dumb luck...I miss my Emily, almost as much as you miss Kelly...he's not a replacement for either one of them, but he's a damned good close second...you know I'll do anything you need to help keep him happy and safe. Any of us will."

Gibbs eyed the man suspiciously, his fear radar starting to ping at Fornell's sudden heartfelt confession. "What's going on, Tobias, why are you saying all this? Is there something about Senior you're not telling me about?"

"I met with his attorney and the JAG attorney yesterday. In return for turning state's evidence, they've agreed to allow Senior into the witness protection program."

Gibb's face was a mix of fear and fury now. "Tobias," he growled from the back of his throat.

"You knew that was always a possibility, Jethro, and it _was_ out of my hands or believe me, that bastard would be..." He took a steadying breath and went on. "Anyways, I _did _get to put my two cents in over _something, _considering my team and I were the ones who—with your help—nailed him."

"The POINT, Tobias!" Gibbs fairly screamed.

"The point is, I got the JAG lawyer to draw this up for me and make Senior sign it." He pulled a folded paper from his back jeans pocket and handed it out to Gibbs. "It's all totally legal, recorded in the county and state family courts."

Gibbs couldn't stop the shake of his hands, despite Fornell's last positive sentence. He'd been living on the edge every day for nearly a month, keeping the fear hidden deep in his gut, away from his team, away from his kid. Now as he read the paper, he thought his knees might buckle. He read it again and then looked up at the man who gave it to him.

"How'd you _do _this, Tobias?"

"Like I said, they _owed _me. Told 'em I wanted it in lieu of a bonus or promotion. Seein' as how none of them could stand Senior, including his own attorney, they fell over themselves to make it happen."

"And Senior just signed it?"

"Couldn't wait to get his hands on a pen. Didn't leave him much of a choice. Not that he actually cared about signing over his kid to you. Happy early Father's Day, Jethro."

"God, Tobias, do you know how I...do you know what this..." He let the sentence trail off, unable to think of more suitable words at the moment.

" Yeah, I _do, _Jethro. This means no more sleepless nights, no more workin' on that ulcer you're thinking of starting. Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of your very own bouncing baby Bubba. The kid his own father didn't want, and now half of NCIS _and _the FBI wants to adopt. You won the lottery, Jethro. Now you get to share your wealth."

"Tobias, I - you could've gotten assistant director or something out of this bust -"

"You really think that would mean _shit _to me if Bubba ended up somewhere other than in this family? I'd have rather gotten fired and come to work for _you _if it meant keeping our grubby little hooks in him. Make yourself a frame for it, hang it in your bathroom over your shaving mirror. It'll be the sweetest victory you've ever won."

"Gibbs? Gibbs, you down there?"

Both men's eyes lit up with mirth at the sound of Abby's voice yelled down the stairs. Gibbs turned to look up through the railing at her, to see that she was holding a sobbing Tony. He bounded up the stairs in four strides.

"What happened, Bubby?" he asked quietly, gently taking him from her arms.

"He never said a word, Gibbs, never made a sound, I _swear, _or I would've turned right around and brought him back! We were walking through the mall and he was fine and then we passed Sears and..." Gibbs burst out laughing in spite of his son's tears, and rubbed the kid's back comfortingly. "Oh. Sears. You take him there, and he thought of you and you weren't there...sorry, Gibbs. Next time we don't go that way." She rubbed Tony's head, nearly in tears herself. "I'm sorry, Bubby, Abby didn't mean to make you unhappy."

"Sciuto, what're doin' to my nephew? Where's your other partner in crime?"

"She's waiting in the car. Gibbs, Kate and I are gonna go back to the mall if that's okay, we'll stop by later on our way back through. He's okay now, right?"

"He'll be fine, Abs, go finish your shopping, and pick up another play pen for me at that big baby store you got his other stuff at. I need one for the basement." He dug out his wallet with his free hand and handed it to her. "Cash or plastic, I don't care. No, take the VISA, get us some dinner on your way back. Call McGee and see if he wants to join us, we'll have a party."

"Umm..right, Gibbs. Okay! Cause you throw so _many _parties, what's one more?"

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, chuckling at her bewilderment. "Just go, Abs, before Kate lays on the horn and has my neighbors on my ass...uh..just go."

"Right! Okay, thanks, Gibbs, sorry your manly day to yourself didn't work out, maybe next weekend." She hurried out the door before he could think of anything else for her to do.

Gibbs looked down at Tony and noticed he had stopped sobbing, but he kept his head heavy on Gibb's shoulder and his thumb firmly in his mouth.

"Missed me, did ya?" Gibbs asked him gently, tapping a tender finger under the kid's chin. Tony sniffed and nodded, tears still flicking off his long dark lashes. "Well I missed you too, and I'm glad you're back." He kissed the boy's forehead. "You hungry, Uncle Toby brought sweet rolls for ya for breakfast."

"Unca Toby's here?" Tony put his head up and looked around. "Where?"

"Uncle Toby?" Gibbs yelled down the basement stairs. "Somebody's lookin' for ya! We're gonna go have a sweet roll and coffee if you wanna join us!"

Fornell bounded up the stairs at Gibb's startling speed, and met the two in the kitchen nook as his friend was settling Tony in his high chair.

"Get 'im some milk, will ya, Tobias, he should at least have _something _nutritious to go with these. Doubt Kate and Abby got him to the food court before they made the ultimate mistake."

"What'd they do? Hey, Bubby, you've been cryin' your _eyes _out, what happened? Tell uncle Toby."

"Ab-Abby 'n Kate..n' Sears...'n d-daddy." The sobs were coming on strong again along with the memories.

"He's tryin' to say they went to the mall and he was doin' okay till they made the mistake of walking in front of the Sears store and all of a sudden he realized where he was and someone wasn't with him."

"Ohhhh! I _see-e_! Well that is just too tragic, my little friend, how about a nice sweet roll to take the bitter taste of missing your daddy out of your mouth?"

Fornell pulled a piece off the roll and handed it to the boy. "Yer daddy made you a toy box while you were gone, when you finish your roll, we can go back down there and you can help me paint it! How does that sound?"

Tony sniffed back remnants of tears and stuffed the roll in his mouth, nodding wordlessly. Fornell tousled his curls, and then kissed his forehead.

"That a boy. Bet that's the last time you go to the mall with girls. At least till you're a teenager, anyways." Fornell set the sippy cup of milk in front of Tony and grabbed another roll for himself. "Well, just as well it happened, Jethro, much longer and you would've had to track them down at the mall and wrassle him away from them. That would have been embarrassing."

"Yeah, but I still would've done it." Gibbs answered him, leaning down and planting his own kiss on the top of Tony's curls. "About the _other _thing, Tobias." He hesitated, making sure he was looking the other man dead in the eye. "Thanks. I sure as hell wasn't expecting something like that."

"Me neither. I just - I was sitting there across from that baa- that sorry excuse for a man and I - it just came to me, a way to settle it once and for all, so we could all have some peace of mind. By the way, the JAG lawyer that helped me pull it off?"

"Don't tell me...Faith Coleman."

"Yup!" Fornell laughed around another bite of sweet roll. "She was so-o-o ready to string that man up by his...thumbs, it was a no-brainer for her. But you _know _she's still gonna hold a marker for it."

"Yeah, well, I've owed worse people for worse things. It sure as hell is worth whatever she wants from me."

"Yeah, it sure is. The girls are gonna go nuts. Ducky, too."

"Oh, hell, I gotta call Ducky, he'd have me on a slab if I told the others before him." Gibbs whipped out his cell, and punched the speed dial number without a second thought, walking over to cup Tony's sugary cheek in his free hand, smiling down at him. "Hey, Duck, it's me…Yeah, I got some good news. You sitting down?"


	25. Time Out, Bubba Style

**A/N1: I'm back with some more Bubba verse. Enjoy. Thank you Bunny for the beta! And Velveteen, this is to hush you up for a couple of days. You can put the whip down now.**

**Summary: Tony's in time out for saying a naughty word. Who did he learn it from? Tony is about 3 years old in this one.**

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><p>Everyone knew LJ Gibbs had rules. Several of them, it seemed. His son knew a few of them, but didn't really understand them.<p>

Like 'always carry a knife'. Tony wasn't allowed to even play with, much less carry around, anything that sharp.

Or 'never be unreachable'. He was _always _within reach of somebody. He had what _he _thought was a very big family -his daddy, Uncle Toby, Abby, Aunt Kate, Uncle Tim...he even had _three _grandpas - Grandpa Ducky, Grandpa Jack, and Grandpa Mike, although Grandpa Mike always acted funny and made grumbly noises when Tony called him that. So, he was never out of reach, one or more of them was always around to help him when he was unhappy or hurt, or just wanted to share something fun.

But some of the _other _rules he _did _understand - and he usually obeyed them - but today, just now, for some reason unknown even to him, he didn't. In an unthinking ramble of thoughts to his dad, he had said _a naughty word! _And now he was staring at a corner of the dining room. Forever. His dad had said twenty minutes, and for an almost-three year old, that was an eternity. Nothing to do but sit. And sigh. And tap his foot and fingers to the song in his head. But he couldn't sing it out loud. No talking, no singing, no turning around, those were the rules for time out. Yup, his daddy had a lot of rules. He sighed again. Twenty minutes was a lo-o-ong time. Boring. Not even anything in his pockets to play with. Not allowed, anyways.

His dad was in the kitchen making dinner, and even though his back was to Tony, he knew things. He would know even if Tony turned around. So Tony didn't. He just watched a little spider making its way up the joint in the wall. He smelled chicken cooking. He loved his daddy's chicken. Really, he loved anything his daddy cooked, or did. Except punish him, of course. He followed the spider up the wall and it made him think of another song his daddy sang to him sometimes.

"The eensie-weensie spider climbed up the water spout. Down came the rain and -"

"No singing, Bubba!" his dad's voice called out from the kitchen.

He was singing? He didn't even realize it. He pressed his lips together tightly. No more singing. That would get him more chair time. And it wasn't a comfortable chair. It was an old, hard kid's chair his dad had found somewhere just for that corner, just for time out. He sighed again. And waited.

"Five more minutes, bud. Yer doin' great, though!"

Tony felt a warm feeling in his tummy from that. His dad praised him even when he was in time-out. He knew, even as young as he was, that his dad was different than other dads. He didn't know how, or why, or how to say it in words. Just now, he had wanted to say 'Thank you, daddy,' but he wasn't allowed to talk yet. He'd tell him later. In five minutes. His dad came in and set the table, and tousled Tony's hair on his way back out.

"Grandpa Ducky's coming fishing with us tomorrow, hope you don't mind. Do you want milk or juice with dinner? You can tell me, you won't get in trouble."

"Milk, please."

Gibbs got the milk out of the fridge, poured two glasses and put it away. He came out and stood behind his son, leaned over him, and kissed him on the top of his head. "You _know _why I put you in time-out, don't you, Bubby?"

"Yes, daddy."

"I know you know better than to do it, can ya tell me why ya did?"

"I - it just slipped out before I could stop it."

"It's not a little kid word and you _know _that, so why'd ya say it? More importantly, who'd you hear it from?"

Tony didn't answer. He didn't want more time out for tattling. But if he kept not answering he'd for sure get more time out. And no dinner. And like always, he was hungry.

"Tony, I asked you a question."

Tony swallowed hard. He didn't have a choice now. "From - from _you, _Daddy, I - sometimes when you get mad you - I know it's a big person word, but it was - stuck in my head and when things get stuck in my head they have to come out and sometimes I can't stop them like my hands when I talk! I'm sorry, daddy, I swear I will never say it again!"

Tony's little shoulders were shaking with sobs at his confession, and Gibbs knew he wasn't acting. He picked his boy up from his chair and turned him around to face him. "Aahhh, Bubba. I'm sorry. This is my fault, I shouldn't say those words in front of you if I don't want ya repeating them." He squeezed Tony to him, rubbing the back of his head. "Sshh, you'll get yourself too upset to eat and I made your favorite."

"Yer -yer not mad at me?" Tony asked in a wavering voice as he pulled back from his dad's shoulder.

"No, I'm not mad at you." He brushed hair out of Tony's teary eyes, and almost flinched at what he saw in them - abject misery at having been thought lacking in some way by his dad, and then having to tell him where he'd heard the bad word. He almost stumbled on his words as they caught in his throat, but he knew he had to make this right. "Bubba, you did the right thing by telling me who you learned it from. I try really hard not to say those words in front of you, but I've said them for too many years, and now it's a very bad habit."

"Mrs. Lewis from daycare says some mommies and daddies wash their kid's mouths out with soap when they say bad words. I think time-out is better."

Gibbs smiled and brushed tears off his son's cheeks with a crooked finger. "Maybe Daddy should get a time-out for being naughty and saying that word in front of you."

Tony laughed through his tears. "_You _in time-out, Daddy? I don't think it would be a good idea."

"Really? Why not?"

"Because, silly, my chair isn't _big _enough for you, you'd _break _it!"

Gibbs smiled at his son and waited for the light bulb to click on over his head. It took all of eight seconds.

"But if you broke it, I wouldn't have a time-out chair anymore and -"

"Yeah, I was waiting for that, Bubba. What if I told you I'd sit on the floor and save your chair for you? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you're gonna need it again before you outgrow it."

"Daddy, you have an answer for everything!" Tony huffed, patting his father's cheek. "Aunt Katie told me one time you think you know everything. Do you?"

Gibbs struggled to keep his roar of laughter down to an amused chuckle. "As a matter of fact I _do, _and you just tell your Aunt Katie it's true the next time you see her!" He kissed his boy's cheek and carried him over to the dining table, settling him in his booster seat.

"Daddy, I didn't wash my hands!"

"So you didn't, Bubba, here, catch!" Gibbs tossed the wet dishcloth to Tony and landed it smack on his face. Tony burst into hysterical laughter.

"Good shot, Daddy, now I don't have to wash my face!" He wiped his little hands down with the damp cloth and waited patiently for his plate of food. "I'm glad Grandpa Ducky's coming with us tomorrow, he needs to fish with us more often. I like it when he tells his stories."

"Huh. Well, that's good, Bubba. He appreciates you listening to them."

"I love Grandpa Ducky, I'm very lucky to have him for a grandpa. And to have you for a daddy."

Gibbs swallowed the instant lump in his throat to find his voice. He tried to sound matter-of-fact, but his words cracked a little.

"Oh yeah, why's that, Bubba?" _Considering I just punished you for something that was actually my fault._

"'Cause you always tell me why I'm being punished, and you tell me I'm doing a good job, even when I've been bad. I try really hard not to be bad for you, Daddy. But sometimes I just can't help it. And you still love me anyways."

Gibbs crouched down beside his son's chair and picked up his little hand, kissing the back of it. "I will always love you, Bubba, no matter what, even when you're bad. And I know you try really hard not to be, I see you thinkin' all the time about what's the right thing to do. And I know that sometimes you can't help being naughty, just like sometimes I can't help saying naughty words. Just as long as we learn from our mistakes, right, Bubby?"

He kissed the little hand and fingers again and then stood up on creaky knees to go fix his son a dinner plate. _Never know _what's _gonna come out of that boy's mouth, _he mused to himself. Now if he could just monitor what came out of his.

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><p><em><br>_**A/N2: We can all speculate at what the word was out of Bubba's mouth and why he said it! One can only imagine...**


	26. Boys and Curls

**A/N: Going over one of my stories I noticed I'd put MTAC in place of MCRT...I've done it more than once. I know the difference and for some reason keep doing it anyways, so please excuse. I'm going to make myself a big sign and post it at my computer. **

**Thanks so much to all who review, alert, and or favorite my stories, and as always, my thanks to Bunny, the best beta and buddy bar none! **

**PS: This isn't a Tony whump, haven't finished one yet, this is a Bubba's daddy whump. You'll see what I mean.**** Just a little bit of fluff.**

_**Summary: Gibbs finds it harder to face Tony's first major haircut than Tony does.**_

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><p>Gibbs was ironing a shirt for work when he heard his almost three year old son sigh. It wasn't nap time yet, and he was surrounded with his farm animals and equipment, so he didn't have a reason to be bored or unhappy. Gibbs looked up in time to see Tony swipe his hand across his forehead in an effort to get his hair out of his eyes. It was too long, and Gibbs knew it, the sandy blond curls running amok all over the boy's head, getting caught in all manner of things and blocking Tony's view when he bent his head to look at something or play with a toy.<p>

The curls were thick and almost in ringlets, and though he'd had them lightly trimmed a few times, the thought of _cutting _them...well, Gibbs wasn't ready for them to be gone yet. Still, he couldn't very well trot his son around with barrettes in his hair.

So Gibbs sighed himself, and as soon as he finished ironing his shirt, shut down the operation and went over to Tony.

"Hey Bubba, everything alright?"

"Yes, Daddy, fine."

"I heard you sighing, do you feel okay?" Gibbs checked his son's forehead for fever, just in case.

"I'm fine, Daddy. My hair just got in my eyes."

Gibbs took a deep breath and willed himself to ask the question. "You wanna get it cut, make it shorter so it doesn't fall in your eyes? We can go now, Roger takes walk-ins."

"Yes, Daddy, I do. It gets in my eyes too much, and yesterday I got it caught in the swing chain."

"Uh huh. Wondered if something like that had happened."

Gibb's mind went back to his son coming in the house from play earlier than usual with a definite glint and redness to his eyes. He had dutifully ignored it, as Tony hated it when his dad fussed over something that didn't involve blood or broken bones. Gibbs saw evidence of neither, so he let it go, and fixed Tony a PBJ and chocolate milk to take the sting out whatever had made him cry.

"Okay, let's get in the car and go git 'er done, we can stop for pizza on the way home, haven't had one since..." He stopped and turned to look at his son. "Since when, Bubba?"

"Um..." Tony thought for a minute, counting to himself on his long little fingers. "Three days ago. At Uncle Toby's."

"We due for another one, then. Get your shoes on while I'll grab a juice carton for ya."

Tony hurried to slip on his little Velcro sandals, grabbed up a couple toys to play with in the car, and then ran to wait by the door for his dad. Gibbs came out with a juice box and bottle of iced tea, grabbed up the keys and they loaded themselves into the truck.

Walking through the door of the barbershop, they were greeted by a man about Gibbs's age with a head full of auburn curls. "Jethro and Bubba Gibbs, how nice to see you two again. You need a cut already, Gibbs? I thought you were just here a couple weeks ago!"

"I was. Now it's Bubba's turn."

The barber's eyes widened. "Ohhh. I _see. _Well then, hop right up here, young man, let's see what we can DO for you. How much do you want me to take off, Jethro?"

"None of it," Gibbs answered, in a somewhat grumpy tone.

"Uhh. Okay..." The barber ignored the tone and looked at the man with confusion.

"He needs it cut, keeps getting in his eyes. I…I don't..." Gibbs let his sentence trail off quietly.

"I see. Well, how about we start with just a little, see how it falls and go from there?"

"I want it to look like Daddy's!" Tony chimed in.

Gibbs choked. He'd always worn his hair high and tight, it was as much a part of him as his Sears sports coats, but his boy with a Marine cut? "Uh, that would be a no, Roger. Just take some off all the way around."

"Noo-o-o-o, Daddy, I want it like _yours!_"

"Bubba, my haircut would not look good on a little boy like you. Besides, it would never stay flat, your hair is too curly!"

"Then I'll flatten it down with stuff like Uncle Tim uses!"

"You can't be puttin' that stuff in your hair every day, it's -"

"Daddy, _you _were the one who told me I needed to get my hair cut!" Tony yelled in frustration at his father. He got 'The Look', and swallowed hard. "Sorry, Daddy."

"Tell ya what!" Roger cut in, trying to avert a total catastrophe. "I'll take an inch or so off this time, we can see how it goes, if it's still too long, we'll take some more off. But honestly, I don't think it's gonna look like your dad's for a while yet. It will someday, though, I'm sure of it."

Tony looked up hopefully at him through a wash of tears in his eyes. The tears made his irises look almost emerald in color. He sniffed them away before they could fall and embarrass him. "O-okay. If- if you promise that - someday it'll - look like Daddy's."

The barber leaned down in front of Tony with a smile and an infinitely patient look.

"I have no doubt that you will look in the mirror some day and see your daddy, Tony Gibbs. Everything that's good in him will be reflected back in you. He will make sure of that."

"My daddy - is the _best daddy ever_!" Tony almost whispered, still trying to catch up to and understand what the man had just told him. "I want to be just _like _him..."

Roger looked over at his older guest and found him looking out the shop's window trying to hold it together. The barber looked back at Tony and winked at him. "Well so far you _are_ just like him, and you don't need to have your hair exactly like his to be like him. In fact, I think he's grown it a little longer since he's had you around, so maybe he wants to be just like _you!_"

Tony laughed at that, making Gibbs swipe his hand across his face and turn back to them. He cleared his throat and squeezed his son's arm. "He's right, Bubba. Lots of ways I wanna be just like you. And I'll _never _have you hair."

Tony gave him a most disbelieving look. "Daddy, yer just saying that! You're all grown up, you don't need to wanna be like me!"

"Yeah, I do. I need to learn to laugh and play more like you do, and look for the _best _in people and overlook the mistakes they make like you do. Lots I can learn from ya, Bubby." He leaned over and kissed the side of Tony's head. "Save the ringlets, Roger, Kate and Abby will have strokes when they see I've gotten it cut, maybe I can pacify them with a souvenir."

Roger nodded and took out his barbering scissors and started snipping. "What's a - souva - a souvee - what you just said, Daddy?" Tony asked.

"It's something we keep to remember someone by, like you gave Grandpa Mike your first pink pig when he came to visit that time. Abby and Aunt Kate can keep some of your hair and remember when you were little and had long, curly hair."

"Oh," Tony answered, still perplexed. "Abby and Aunt Kate do funny things sometimes. I don't always...understand them."

"Bubby, youare not the _only _one who doesn't understand them." Gibbs tweaked his cheek, and sat back down to watch as the baby curls bounced off his son's shoulders and slid down to the shop floor. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat again, and had to turn back to look out the window to watch the cars and people going by to distract his melancholy thoughts.

He'd had Tony in his life nearly a year and half now, and it seemed like only a few months had gone by. And he knew the older his son got, the faster time would go. He needed to grab every second of joy from him that he could. He turned back around to watch his son proudly getting his hair cut to look more like his dad. Maybe he'd save a couple of those shiny ringlets for himself.


	27. Worst Nightmare

**Summary: Multi-chap plotline of the kidnapping of Bubba from a daycare field trip.**

**A/N: ****Finally a new Bubba chapter, probably several for this particular plot line. Dedicated to Velveteen, iboneki, Obligatory Abandoned Warehouse and gotgoats. Thanks for waiting so patiently. Thanks to Bunny for the beta, and to those who review and favorite.**

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><p><em><strong>Fornell's POV<br>**_

When I got the call, I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest. It was Jethro. I could barely understand what he was saying, his voice was so strangled and raw. But I heard all that I needed to; two words- Bubba and kidnapped - and I was out the door with the biggest crew I could grab on a moment's notice. He had been on a field trip with his daycare group and someone had snatched him right off the street and stuffed him into a still-moving van.

It all happened so fast that they barely got a description of the van, much less its tag number. Someone called 911 as soon as it happened, and even better, one of the daycare workers had phoned Gibbs. I can't even imagine being the person to tell Jethro that news, any more than the poor schmuck agent who had to tell me. But you know the saying, 'don't shoot the messenger'. Save your bullets for the bastard that sent 'im.

We put out an Amber Alert, and between Jethro and myself, we managed to get the docks and airports alerted and major highways out of the city all had checkpoints and every damned roadblock we could get up. Most anyone who knew Jethro knew he didn't have money for any decent size ransom, and anyone who knew Jethro even casually would know they were writing their own death sentence by touching his kid. They had our Bubba, and for me, Jethro, Kate, and the rest of the kid's family, the world had stopped turning and nothing else existed around us except the need to find our boy.

Five hours had gone by before we heard from the abductors, five of the longest, most difficult hours of our lives, and to see Jethro so near the breaking point was as excruciating as thinking of all the awful things that happen to kidnapped little boys. This was one of those times being an FBI agent that I knew _too _much, had viewed too many crime scenes, had spent too many hours with frantic parents only to see them destroyed by the end of the day. I didn't know which one of us was going to drop dead from stress first, Jethro or Uncle Toby.

_**Flashback  
><strong>_

_"It's that son of a bitch Ari, I know it is!" Gibbs slammed his fists down on his work desk, scattering pens and spilling coffee._

_"Your gut telling you that?" Fornell asked as calmly as he could muster._

_"And yours isn't? Or are you too afraid of Homeland Security to admit it?"_

_"Hey! I understand you're scared here, but-"_

_"Scared? Scared, Tobias? That cold-blooded bastard has my boy and you think I'm SCARED? I'm so god damned terrified I can barely BREATHE. Do you KNOW what the chances are of-"_

_Gibbs collapsed back into his chair, throwing his hands to his face and then running them up hard through his hair._

_"God, Tobias, what am I gonna...I can't LOSE him, it'll KILL me, you might as well just put your gun to my head and-"_

_"Jethro, stop! Would you KNOW if he was gone, I mean, if he was - no longer breathing - could you FEEL it?"_

_"Of COURSE I could, he's my son!"_

_"Do you feel it now, in your gut? In your heart?"_

_Gibbs let out a deep breath and tried to calm himself._

_"No," he finally sighed. "No, he's still - here."_

_"Then get yourself together! As long as he's still here, there's still hope, LOTS of it! If you think it's Ari, then we look for Ari. I'll call my contacts and track him down."_

_"That's career suicide, Tobias."_

_"I don't CARE, Jethro, do you think my life will be worth SHIT if I don't do everything I can to get him back? He's my godson, he's - he's part of me, you KNOW that. Career be damned, I couldn't get out of BED in the morning if I knew he wasn't still-" Fornell heaved a weary sigh. "God, how did this HAPPEN, how did I let myself get so ATTACHED to him, I swore after losing Emily to Diane I'd never let myself get so close to anybody again…"_

_"Yeah, I did the same thing after Kelly...guess it didn't work for either one of us... Christ, we gotta find him, Tobias, and NOW!"_

_"Let me make some calls. I bet I can rattle enough cages to get somebody to spill where Ari is. In the meantime, go check on the girls. They're probably catatonic by now and I doubt Ducky's in much better shape. Gimme - half an hour, forty-five minutes to shake all the bushes, I'll get us something if I have to sell my damned soul..."_

_**Fornell's POV**_

As it happened, I actually got to keep my soul that day, in more ways than one. One of my contacts turned over some Intel telling us that Ari Aswari had not only been let into the country, but had been in D.C. for three days. I knew Jethro was going to kill me dead when he found that out - his pursuit of the terrorist had turned into an obsession, and now I knew why. He knew something in his gut, but couldn't prove it. I had listened, even agreed, but couldn't do anything about it. People way higher than me were calling the shots on Ari, and I had no Intel on him to even know where he _was, _much less what he was up to.

Well, now we knew, and way too late.

Some days I hated my job.

But in the end, someone turned on him, willing to give him up in exchange for information on some other terrorist. I got it for them, didn't care what it would cost me in the end, didn't even think about it. I'd do whatever it took, hell, I'd _die _for that kid, just like Jethro. I knew enough about Ari Aswari to know how smart he was - but if he _was _the one who had taken Bubba, I couldn't help but think how unbelievably stupid he had become. Maybe he just plain had a death wish. He must have known the shit storm that would rain down on him when Jethro and I and the team got their hands on the bastard - hell, half of D.C. was looking for the kid, including some of the CIA.

No matter when or how we found Bubba, the end would be the same for whoever had taken him. I couldn't even imagine the carnage if Jethro physically got his hands on them. I resolved that I would shoot the sonsabitches point blank before I'd let him tear them apart and end his career to a murderous blind rage.


	28. Worst Nightmare, Part 2

**A/N: Thanks, everyone for the nice welcome back! I was in the process of moving house, ended up doing much of it myself, so there wasn't much time or energy to write. Hope you enjoy this next chapter! Oh yes, I forgot to specify Bubba's age in this story arc; he's about 4 years old. Old enough to kick and bite. Hard.**

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><p><em><strong>McGee's POV<br>**_

They had to be the worst days of my life ever, and I've been through some pretty rough times on the team. We had just started working through some leads in the suspected murder of an ensign when Gibb's cell rang. I didn't pay much attention to it until I heard him make an awful noise and looked up to see him bolt from his desk and up the stairs behind me. Both Kate and I followed with concern, but had either of us known why our boss was running, we probably would have run the other way, right out of the building.

Gibbs flew into the Director's office, never even _looking_at the receptionist, much less stopping to get permission to go in. Director Morrow was in a meeting with someone from Homeland Security, and I could clearly see the surprise and anger on his face as we barged in on them.

_**Flashback**_**  
><strong>

_"Somebody took Bubba!" Gibbs croaked. "I need to set up a command post somewhere!"_

_"Jesus..." the director and McGee uttered almost at the same time._

_"Boss, __where, how?"McGee choked out._

_"On a field trip, just happened ten minutes ago…grabbed him off the sidewalk, stuffed him in a cargo van, took off. They got the description of the van, but no one has spotted it yet. The daycare director called Fornell right before she called me, I'm waiting for him to..."_

_Gibbs's phone rang as if on cue and Morrow's chimed in seconds later. They walked to opposite ends of the room as to not talk over each other._

_"Tobias, where are you?"_

_"I'm on my way, Jethro, sit tight for a minute. I'm just pulling into the parking garage."_

_"Who've you talked to so far?"_

_"I've got a BOLO out on the van, an Amber Alert out for DC and the entire east coast, plus all DC airports, bus and train stations alerted. I've got a about a dozen agents on it so far, half of them are on their way to the scene, more will join me when they get out of the field. We'll __find him, Jethro, and I swear to God whoever took him won't get the chance to explain why."_

_Gibbs hung up and stuffed the phone in his coat pocket. He looked at his two agents for the first time since he got the call from daycare. Both were pale and shell-shocked, and Kate's eyes were brimming, although he could tell she was trying like hell not to break down._

_"Kate, go tell Ducky, then Abby. Tell her to stay put in case we get our hands on any forensics from the scene. McGee and I are gonna go out there soon as Tobias gets here. The LEOs have it taped off, I'm gonna see if we can get tire tracks of any kind and talk to witnesses. C'mon, McGee, we'll meet up with Tobias on the way to the car."_

_"Gibbs!" Kate finally blurted out, no longer able to keep it impersonal. She moved to hug the man, but he shied away from her and was out the door and down the stairs before he could change his mind._

_"No, Katie, not now," McGee said soberly. "We can't break down now, he needs us. He's scared and maybe hurt and he needs us to stay strong and find him. Go stay with Abby and Ducky till you hear from me."_

_"Or me," Fornell added, stepping out of the elevator. "I've got people setting up at your place, Jethro, I'll follow you to the scene, then we'll head out your place when we're done and wait for their call." _

_Fornell took in the faces of his friends, his surrogate family, and knew they mirrored what was on his own face— total shock from having their world suddenly turned upside down, and unbridled terror at the thought of losing the four-year-old child who had, for most of them, become the center of that world. The urge to grab any one of them for a comfort hug was tamped down, and instead the FBI agent turned on his heel without a word to head back out to his car._

_The others were set to follow when they heard Morrow's voice behind them._

_"Gibbs, a few words before you head out..."_

_Morrow discretely steered Gibbs over to the bullpen's picture window to provide some measure of privacy._

_"You have any idea who did this, Jethro?"_

_"Ari Aswari, and __don't tell me he's-"_

_Morrow put what he hoped was a calming hand on his agent's shoulder. "Not saying it __isn't, Jethro, just going to be difficult to track him if he's gone off his handler's radar. You can bet he's got his own network set up helping him pull this off."_

_"Tom, if he __has Tony, he's not gonna want money from me, he's gonna want something he knows I can't give him."_

_Morrow could feel the desperation oozing out of his best agent, and wished for some way to reassure the man. But Gibbs was right, if it was Aswari, he'd definitely gone rogue, and that, in turn made him a terrorist in the eyes of his agency and the U.S. government. There would be no negotiating with him, at least not on any sort of legitimate bureaucratic level. There would be little that Morrow could do other than provide the agency's technical resources._

_"I know, Jethro. But that was SecNav on the phone. He got wind of this somehow, and he's given me a little more leeway than normal for this type of situation. We can't authorize any ransom or exchange - but if it __is him, and you get the chance, you have both his and my permission to take him out any way you see fit— and we'll deal with the fallout later. Go find our boy, Jethro, I'll deal with things from this end."_

_Gibbs just nodded and turned back to his agents, his voice too shaky to say anymore. They hurried into the elevator, none of them able to look at each other for the ride down to Abby's and the parking garage._

_**. . . . .**_

_There was little to no helpful evidence found at the scene where Tony had been yanked into the van. The only thing that had been left behind was heartbreak and one of Tony's cowboy boots. It was the only thing bagged and tagged, and CSI gave it to Fornell to identify. The gruff feebie inspected the bag and his eyes clamped shut in misery. Kate had bought Tony the pair of boots after he had gone with them to a working farm and he had seen several of the hands wearing them. Gibbs hadn't been able to pry them off the kid's feet for days other than for bath or bed, and even that had been a battle._

_He'd have to show the boot to Gibbs, and the very thought made his insides turn to ice. He reluctantly found his friend and handed him the bagged footwear to identify. Gibbs took one look at it and shoved it back at him before diving into a nearby cafe and emptying his stomach in the men's room. Fornell waited helplessly outside, wanting to do the same. Of all the freaking evidence to have to find..._

_When Gibbs reappeared just a few minutes later, pale and looking like he'd aged a decade or more, Fornell was waiting outside the cafe door with a glass of warm lemon water, which Gibbs gladly accepted._

_"Sorry I had to do that to you, Jethro. SOP for any evidence found like that."_

_"We're wasting time here," Gibbs said shortly. "Let's get to my place in case the bastard calls."_

_When they arrived, they found the house crawling with agents, both FBI and NCIS, more than were actually needed, but neither lead agent had the heart or energy to cut any of them loose. They'd brought their own food and supplies, and already had all of the electronics set up to tap the phone in hopes of tracing the call. If indeed, there was a call. _

_No one was even sure if it was a kidnapping—children got abducted all the time for reasons other than ransom demands. _

_No one wanted to even contemplate that thought._

_Instead, they set their minds on the fact that with being a federal agent, Gibbs could very well have some enemy who'd chosen this route to harm him. Or perhaps someone with a political or personal agenda they were hoping to have addressed or thrown into the national spotlight._

_Regardless of the motive, as federal agents they all knew the grim statistics of child abductions. No one had to be told the urgency of finding Jethro Gibbs's son.  
><em>

_**McGee's POV**__  
><em>

At one point there were so many people at the Boss's house, I thought he was going to run screaming from the place. Instead, he paced, pulled at his hair, even tried to work in his basement, which proved fruitless, as it only reminded him of Bubba, and all the hours they'd spent down there learning and laughing. I had found a set of mini-tools for Bubba last year for Christmas, and he'd made his own little space on the back wall for them next to his dad's tools. He's inordinately proud of them, and makes sure they get put back into the correct spot every time he's done with them. He made me a bootjack for my birthday, and...well, it's one of my favorite gifts ever because his little hands made it especially for me with that little tool set.

I've never met another kid as funny as him who can also come up with some of the deepest thoughts I've ever heard come out of a little kid's mouth. Abby says he's an old soul, that he's been around the block a few times before this incarnation, and although I've never spent much time thinking about reincarnation, I'm inclined to agree with her in his case. Especially when I look into those expressive eyes of his and see things that I can't quite explain. Seriousness mixed with mischief and mirth mixed with empathy, wisdom, and unconditional love.

The thought of losing that love was close to unbearable, for all of us, and I'll never really know how any of us made it through those dark days of not knowing where he was and if he was hurt, or even alive.

I tried to think back to a time when he wasn't around, but it seemed like he'd been with us forever. How did we live before he came along to get us through the hard times, the big potholes in our roads of life? We always depended on him to cheer us and get us out of our funk if a case or personal relationship went sour.

Who did you turn to when the very person you relied on for a hug and a laugh was the one causing you grief because he was lost to you?

I couldn't look at Fornell or the Boss without wanting to scream at them to just go out there and start looking for him instead of sitting around waiting, but I knew it had to be pure torture for them to not be out busting down every door in the city.

So we waited. And hoped Bubba knew we were looking for him.


	29. Worst Nightmare, Part 3

**A/N: Thanks, everyone, for your reviews, pm's, alerts and favoriting, and for your patience waiting for a new chapter. Also, thanks to my wonderful beta Bunny, who always finds time in her busy schedule to help me!**

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><p><em><strong>GIBBS POV<strong>_

How could this be that I could lose not just one but two children in my lifetime? Am I that much of a bastard that I would deserve that? Am I going to be paying for sins I don't even know I committed until I die?

Well, I'll make it simple for the universe - if I don't get Tony back alive, I WILL shoot myself this time, no one will be able to stop me putting the gun in my mouth. I'll be with Kelly and Tony and Shannon and mom, and that's all I'll need. I can still feel him in my heart, but for how long? Every hour that goes by cuts down his chances of being found still breathing.

He was so happy the last time I saw him. The daycare had put on a talent show, and my baby stood up on that little stage dressed in his cowboy clothes and boots and sang "My Home's In Montana" at the top of his voice, all the time twirling his lariat like the worker at the horse ranch had shown him. Most of the time it just drooped around his hand, but he didn't let it discourage him, just kept tapping his little boot and belting out the song.

Everyone roared with applause and laughter when he was done, and he was in his glory. But in the end, he lost the prize to a boy who quoted Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Raven'. What the hell kind of parent lets their four year old memorize that kind of morbid poetry?

I shook my head in disgust when they read the winner's name, but Bubba didn't seem to care one way or the other that he hadn't won. All his family was there to see him, even Uncle Toby, who was in such hysterics he could barely hold onto the video camera.

Uncle Toby's still in hysterics, but a different kind now. He just brought me Tony's right cowboy boot as evidence and could barely look me in the eye. It wasn't because he was afraid of me, or ashamed that that was all the evidence his team had found… it was because he knew as well as I did that eyeball to eyeball, we both would have fallen apart, and gotten nothing more accomplished.

He knows as well as I do the odds we're working with, and how strongly they're stacked against us, but you won't hear it from either of our lips. We refuse to believe them this time, both of us have fallen into that zone we warn so many scared, hopeful parents against. _Prepare yourself for the worst._ And yet here we are, refusing to follow our own advice. He looks like he's aged ten years in the last hour, and I noticed his hand shaking when he handed me the evidence bag. I know he's seen way worse than I have when it comes to kidnapped children, could quote me chapter by chapter and verse the grim statistics.

But not my son and not his god son.

Not now, not ever.

_**Flashback  
><strong>_

_Gibbs knew he had to stop thinking about Tony and concentrate on tracking his abductors. Normally, he was able to keep his emotions at bay on their cases, but how the hell could he do that NOW? When he'd handed Abby Tony's cowboy boot, she burst into uncontrollable sobs, and Kate had rushed in, white-faced and shaking, thinking the worst. Both she and Abby had been pacing the lab, snapping at anyone who dared call or stop by who wasn't related to the case. When Kate saw the boot, her hands flew to her face and she let out a gasp. _

_Then Ducky joined them, hearing the commotion. The broken look on the M.E.'s face, combined with his girls' sobbing, forced Gibbs out of the lab and into the nearest men's room._

_He kicked the empty stall doors, not caring if anyone was in the room at the time, banging them back onto the other stalls, then single-handedly ripped the paper towel holders off the wall. If he'd been physically strong enough, he would have pulled the sinks out of the counter top. He gripped his hair with both hands and screamed, falling sideways against the wall as his voice echoed around his ears. He could hear his boy's voice, hear Tony calling for him. What Tony must be going through..._

_He slid down the wall and landed on his butt, not moving until he felt a hand grip his upper arm._

_"Jethro, please." Ducky's voice quietly pleaded. "At least let me give you a light sedative."_

_"No, Duck."_

_"It will only relax you; it won't cloud your thinking."_

_"NO. I need to find him, he NEEDS me, he's calling for me! I can hear him! He's depending on me, I'm his daddy, he - I can't let him down!"_

_"Then rest. You can't help him like this. Just for an hour or two. Your team is doing everything that can possibly be done to get our boy safely home. They'll wake you if they hear anything more. Come, lie down in my office, I'll let them know where you are in case they need to find you."_

_Gibbs sighed heavily and heaved himself to his feet._

_"Just for an hour, Duck. No more. Then I'm good to go."_

_"Alright, Jethro, I'll set the alarm clock," Ducky assured him, keeping a steadying hand on the man's arm._

_"Duck, can ya stay with Kate and Abs for a while? They need somebody and I can't... I just can't-"_

_"There there, Jethro, just LIE down and try to relax, I will soothe Abigail and Caitlyn for you. Close your eyes, I'll have Timothy come down and get you very soon."_

_Gibbs obeyed and let Ducky settle him on the old sofa and cover him gently with an afghan. Almost two hours later, he awoke with a start—he had been dreaming, seeing Tony with DiNozzo Senior, running to get away from the man, only to find Ari Aswari blocking his path. Gibbs sat up in a cold sweat, and threw off the afghan, adjusting his eyes to the office light and swiping a hand over his face. He looked at his watch and grunted in annoyance. Ducky had said an hour. It was well past that. He was about to go chew the man out and was met at the office door by McGee._

_"Boss, one of Fornell's people spotted Ari, going into the Adam's House Hotel!" he blurted before Gibbs could get a word in._

_"They grab the bastard?" Gibbs asked, running past him to the stairwell, not wanting to wait for the elevator._

_"No, they're following him. They're not letting him know they're there until they know Bubba's - Tony's - there with him."_

_"Tobias is on his way there?"_

_"Yeah, he's notified the hotel staff, no one goes in or out, all the exits have been locked down."_

_"They know if he's got a room there or is he just visiting someone?"_

_"There's no record of him having a room, but the staff is saying they think they've seen him there a few times."_

_Gibbs flung the stairwell door open and surged into the parking garage._

_"They THINK they've seen him there?" he barked._

_"Well it's a busy place, boss. Fornell's people are getting ready to review the security footage for the last three days."_

_"Call Kate, tell her to meet us there, tell her not to tell Abby anything, don't want her showing up in the middle of it trying to rescue Bubba."_

_"Got it," McGee snapped back, flipping open his phone and punching in Kate's speed dial number. He was barely able to get in the Charger and shut the door before Gibbs hit the gas and screeched out of the garage. He expected no less from the man in this situation, and prepared himself for the carnival ride of a lifetime._

_If they expected chaos at the Adam's House, they got a surprise. It seemed none of the guests were aware there was anything of concern brewing within its lavish walls, simply going about their business to and from their rooms and the hotel's shops and restaurants. It made Gibbs suspicious. AND furious._

_"What the hell, Tobias, is he here or NOT?"_

_"EASY, Jethro, he's here. We're just trying to do this without bloodshed."_

_"Not gonna happen, Tobias, and you KNOW it. Now let's go!"_

_Fornell held his friend back with a strong hand._

_"Not talking about Ari, Jethro, talking about the hotel guests and staff. You know as well as I do this could turn into a bloodbath, and not gonna let this happen, not in front of my godson, or anybody ELSE'S son. My people are setting it up, quietly and covertly."_

_He let go of Gibb's arm, and squeezed the man's shoulder. "Soon, friend…if he's here with Ari, you'll have him back soon."_

_Gibbs let go an exhausted sigh. "He's GOTTA be here, Toby, I - I can't take anymore waiting."_

_"I know, Jethro. Come on, we've secured the floor the suite is on, my people will move in on my signal."  
><em>

_**Gibbs's POV  
><strong>_

We'll never know if Ari was expecting us, whether or not he wanted me to find him and confront him for a chance to kill me face to face. But that's how it happened.

He smiled when I shot him, like I was doing him a favor, like somehow me killing him would scar me for life or make me go crazy with guilt. Who really knows what was going on in that warped mind of his…

I didn't waste one second before or after killing him to worry or wonder about it. Never will. He took my baby from me, held him hostage in a darkened room for three days, and terrorized him to the point of near breakdown. I barely recognized my boy, he was so sick from being drugged, and then hysterical with fear that he would never see any of us again. Insult to injury, Ari had terrorized his family – _us_–by making us afraid we would never see him again.

So I pulled the trigger of my Sig twice, one through the head, one through the heart, and walked away without looking back. My boy needed me, and I didn't give a damn what they did with Ari's body.  
>Fornell met me coming down the hallway, a shocked and angry look on his face, and I couldn't imagine that he was pissed for what I had just done.<p>

When Tobias told me what had just happened on his end—hell, the moment he uttered the name _Senior_—I had to really hold back from slugging him. The only thing that stopped me at the moment was the thought of having to explain to Bubba why his Uncle Toby had a broken nose.

"I swear to God, Jethro, I didn't know. You know I would have never kept that from you if I'd known, I would've had an APB out on his ass and had him back behind bars where he belonged!"

"None of your agents were smart enough to know something was hinky when Senior didn't check in to his last appointment?" I shouted, well beyond anger.

"He said he was sick…it was the first time in two and a half YEARS he missed a check-in! His handler checked his apartment. His car was there, mail had been picked up, everything seemed in order!"

"I swore I would never let that bastard near my kid as long as he was alive!"

"He's dead now, Jethro, so let it go! He's nobody's problem anymore, except the mortician that has to try to piece his head back together again."

"To hell with that, Tobias. Toss his sorry ass into the swamp and let the god damned coyotes have at 'im. He doesn't deserve a burial! Same with that piece a' crap lyin' in there!"

"Agreed, but not our call. Ari will get sent back to Israel, Senior will probably get a county-funded funeral unless he has insurance or his family wants to cough up money for one. Ducky's on his way to pick up both of them. Where's Bubba, how come you-"

"Kate's got 'im, pulled him out of the room before he could see me blow Ari's head off. He's a mess, Toby, half out of his head in hysterics, so be prepared..."

"No blood or broken bones?"

"Don't know, just threw 'im in Kate's arms and she ran out with him screaming at the top of his lungs. Probably still is. Probably thinks I'm dead."

"I'm sure Ducky's here by now, he'll get him settled down."

"Not without a sedative. Gonna take 'im a long time to settle, Toby. Maybe never. I'm gonna take leave time and go up to dad's as soon as he gets the go-ahead from Grandpa Ducky. I'm relying on you to take care of this from here. I'll file my report, but I'm leaving the rest for you to clean up. You can reach me at my dad's, even come up and visit when you're done."

"Just might, Jethro. Need some time off myself after this."

"Yeah, you do, Uncle Toby. All of us do. Make sure you take it 'cause Bubba'll be counting on you to help him get through this. So will I."

"You got it, Jethro. Wild horses wouldn't keep me away, you know that."

Gibbs stopped briefly to turn to the man, and give him an unexpected hug, suddenly feeling an enormous weight lifted off his shoulders.

"We got 'im back, Tobias." His voice broke unashamedly. "We got 'im back."

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2: Next up, Bubba's reunion with his dad, and his POV of his abduction and rescue.**


	30. Worst Nightmare, Part 4

**A/N: Hi all, as always, thanks for the reviews! I don't know if I responded to you all, I got off track; if I didn't, I apologize. Thank you Bunny for all your wonderful help. **

**ALSO: I wrote in the last chap that this would be from Tony's POV, but somehow it ended up coming from Kate. It's still about his reunion with his family. The next chap will be all from him.**

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><p><em><strong>KATE'S POV<br>**_

When we found out that Ari was in that suite, there was a part of me that couldn't bring myself to go in there, to find Bubba not there—or worse—dead. Nothing can prepare you for coming onto a scene like that, and when it's your own family...I wanted Fornell to go in first, or better yet, one of his agents. Just in case.

But it didn't work out like that. Gibbs went in first, ready to shoot to kill, and we found Bubba lying on the couch in the suite's living room. He was groggy, barely aware we were there, and kicked at Gibbs when he scooped him up.

"No, baby, it's daddy…it's alright, everything's alright."

I could hear the tears in the Boss's voice, then saw them dripping into Tony's hair.

"Take him, Katie, I gotta find Ari." There was pain in Gibbs's voice, as if separating himself from Bubba at that moment was literally tearing him apart from the inside out. And then I thought about it, and I imagine it probably was. From his heart right down to his fingertips which held a reluctantly tenuous grasp on the small boy.

He shoved Bubba into my arms without another word, trusting me to take care of his precious boy. I was afraid to leave Gibbs alone in the suite, but I knew I had to get Bubba to safety and make sure he was alright. I owed that much to my boss, and more to Bubba.

Ducky and two EMT's were waiting in another suite a floor below to check him over and arrange for an ambulance ride if he needed one. He must have recognized Gibb's voice and smell, because he calmed right down at his touch and then started fussing again when he got handed over to me.

"It's alright, Bubby, it's Aunt Katie. Everything's fine, you'll see your daddy again in a few minutes," I cooed, hurrying out of the suite and into the safety of some FBI hostage team members, who pushed us into an elevator.

_**FLASHBACK  
><strong>_

_"Dad-deeeee!" Tony screamed as the doors hissed shut, and Kate clasped him as tightly to her as she could._

_"No, baby, it's alright, your daddy will be right behind us, I promise!"_

_Oh God...Kate cursed to herself, knowing she had no right to promise any safe outcome to her boss's personal vendetta. For allshe knew, she'd be visiting Tony at Fornell's from now on and wishing like hell she'd stayed and backed up her partner._

_She felt Tony wrap rubbery arms around her neck, pressing his head into her shoulder, and she heard him huff out a deep sigh._

_"That's it, Bubby," she soothed, rubbing his back. "Just relax, you're safe now, I'm taking you to see Grandpa Ducky."_

_"Gampa - gampa Duck-"_

_"Uh huh, he's waiting to see you. So are Abby and Uncle Tim and-"_

_"Unc- Uncle To- Toby?"_

_"Uh huh, Uncle Toby and..."_

_"Wanna see my daddy."_

_"Yup, he's on his way. First we're gonna get you checked out and make sure that bas—that bad man didn't hurt you."_

_"Hurt my…hurt my arm," Tony whimpered._

_"Okay, baby." Kate smoothed her hand over the side of his head and kissed it. "Gramdpa Ducky will fix it right up for you."_

_She whisked him into the suite Ducky was waiting in. Ducky hurried to them when he saw Tony's near-limp form in her arms._

_"Oh my Bubby!" he exclaimed, nearly grabbing the boy out of Kate's arms. "We were all so frantic about you!" He cradled Tony close to him, weeping unashamedly with joy at seeing his grandson. He was on the verge of breaking down completely when he felt Kate's hand on his shoulder and collected himself._

_"Yes, well, let's have a look at you, young man, see if Grandpa D. needs to put any Band Aids on you!"_

_"I wanna see my daddy!" Tony squeaked out, on the verge of tears himself. "I missed him and he was very worried about me, I could feel it!"_

_"Yes, he was very worried about you, my little friend, he barely ate or slept a wink while you were gone!" Ducky encouraged as he gently settled Tony down on the hotel couch and began a cursory exam of the boy._

_"You will see him very shortly, he is just taking care of some very important things, and then he will be here to take you home to your very own room. Can you take a deep breath for me, Bubby?" _

_Tony obeyed with a shaky near-sob behind it. _

_"That's a good boy, my Anthony. You're doing wonderfully! Another, please." Tony breathed in deeply again, and Ducky listened to the little boy's heart. "Alright, now I'm going to take your temperature with the ear thermometer."_

_Ducky popped it in and brushed a hand across Tony's wet face._

_"Those men should never have taken me away, I wasn't doing anything wrong!" Tony sobbed as his grandfather shown a penlight into his eyes and the boy flinched away from it._

_"No, you certainly weren't, my Bubby."_

_"They made me sick, and very scared and made my da very worried!"_

_"They?" Kate asked, alarmed now. "There was more than one person keeping you in that room?"_

_"Two men. They yelled at each other a lot. One was called Air, or Erie or something. The Air guy called the other guy Din - Dinno - something."_

_Kate's mouth dropped open as she and Ducky stared disbelievingly at each other._

_"Tony, the other man, the Dinno guy, was he - tall, and - have brown and gray hair like your daddy?"_

_"I - I think so - I was sick a lot. And it was sort of dark most of the time. He wasn't very nice to me. He's the one who twisted my arm."_

_"Ahhh," Ducky answered with surprising calmness, though his insides twisted with the thought of anyone hurting Tony in any way. "And which arm would that be, Bubby? Let me take a look at it, I will be very gentle, I promise."_

_Tony held out his right arm and they both could immediately see it was swollen and bruised._

_"That son of a-"_

_"Caitlyn," Ducky warned. "Go see if Abigail is on her way back with those drinks she promised."_

_Kate spun around without another word and stormed out of the suite._

_"Aunt Katie is mad at me for hurting my arm?" Tony asked, his tired eyes brimming with tears._

_"Oh no, no. She's angry at the one who HURT you, Bubby! She'll be just fine, don't you worry. Abigail is bringing us some drinks, I ordered a Slush Puppy for you that you love so well!"_

_"Really?" Tony asked in a tiny voice. "A cherry one?"_

_"The biggest she could find, my boy. Along with a 3-Musketeer bar."_

_Tony's eyes lit up through his tears despite his upset. Ducky knew that these seemingly inconsequential items would bring a sense of normalcy to the little boy's fragile hold on reality. They were two of his favorite snacks and not often allowed, so they were always a treat. And now...they sounded like home, and daddy, and..._

_McGee burst into the room, tucking his cell into his pocket as he hurried in._

_"Fornell just called, everything's taken care of, no one got hurt except -"_

_"My daddy's okay?"_

_McGee smiled at the child in Ducky's care._

_"Your daddy is just fine, Bubba Gibbs! He'll be here very soon, so will Uncle Toby."_

_Tony swiped his good arm over his eyes and reached out to McGee for a hug, who was only too happy to oblige._

_"Ohh, God, Bubby, we were SO worried about you, we couldn't eat or sleep or..." He squeezed Tony close to his chest and closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of the boy in his arms. "Your daddy's gonna cry when he sees you, so don't get upset, okay? It'll be happy tears 'cause he's been holding all his worry for you inside."_

_Tony nodded his head into McGee's shoulder and the man could feel him sigh in exhaustion._

_"It's okay for you to cry too, Bubby. I'm sure it was very scary for you, and you're probably really tired and not feeling good."_

_Tony nodded his head again, and then suddenly burst into uncontrolled sobs. McGee turned to see his boss and Tobias Fornell stride through the door with Kate behind them._

_**KATE'S POV  
><strong>_

Honestly, I don't think there are words to describe what it felt like to have Bubba back safe with us after the torture we all went through. Gibbs had to sit down with him, he was so overwhelmed and shaky. His entire body was sagging with relief and exhaustion and we all thought he might collapse with Tony in his arms, until Ducky had the good sense to guide him over to the couch. Once he was situated, Bubba didn't waste any time hugging and kissing him and trying to make him stop crying. But we were all crying, so happy for them and for ourselves.

Then I remembered something.

"Ducky, his arm!"

"Oh good Lord, yes!" Ducky proclaimed, sitting down next to them. "Anthony, I need to see your arm."

"Not now, Ducky," Fornell growled.

"Yes, now, Tobias. Mr. DiNozzo twisted it and - "

Gibbs pulled a reluctant Tony away from him in alarm.

"He hurt you ag—he hurt you?" Gibbs asked in a strangled voice.

"I was just getting ready to examine it more thoroughly when you came in."

"He - he just - pulled it too hard, Daddy, it's fine!"

"Let Grandpa D look at it," Gibbs answered quietly but sternly.

I had already seen what the bastard did to his own son for the second time, but everyone else gathered closer when Bubba put his arm out for inspection. No had heard Abby come in behind us, so we weren't expecting to hear her curse.

"I will _kill _the son of a bitch with my bare hands, right after I boil him in-"

"Abs-" Gibbs warned her. Tony scrambled off Gibb's lap and into Abby's waiting arms.

"Oh my bubby!" They both burst into fresh tears as she squeezed him to near breathlessness.

And even though I've always been a little envious of her and Tony's closeness, I couldn't help but burst into tears myself. Those two had taken to each other like peanut butter and jam from the very first day, and I couldn't begrudge them their unfettered joy at seeing each other again. Bubba's face was a mix of tears and snot and grossness, but Abby embraced it all, not caring if he spread it onto her. I guess I wouldn't have cared now, either, I was so thrilled to have him back.

"Daddy, Abby has to put dollar in the Swear Can when we got home, doesn't she?"

"Yes she _does, _my little man! And you'll be surprised at how full that can _is _right now, between Uncle Toby and myself the past few days! We'll take all the dollars and go visit Grandpa Jack and spend them in his store on fishin' tackle and bait, how does _that _sound?"

Tony nodded as enthusiastically as he could manage, and Abby kissed him all over in glee.

"Alright, Abs, let Ducky finish looking at his arm so we can get out of here. Bubs and I are going home, Tobias is going to stay a little longer on mop-up, the rest of you go home, meet us at my place in the morning for brunch. You guys bring the food. We'll be too busy playing to cook anything, won't we, Bub?"

Tony tried a smile, but he was just too done in, the after-effects of the drugs still in his system and all the adrenalin burned out. He reached over for his dad, who took him back happily and sat down with him again so Ducky could give him a proper examination.

The rest of us were feeling—and looking—like wet noodles ourselves. We'd start again fresh tomorrow, after finally getting a good night's sleep, and spoil that kid more rotten than we already have.


	31. Worst Nightmare, Part 5

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for waiting for this, some of you impatiently, eh hem, Velveteen. Thank you to all who comment, pm, review and favorite, and as always, a huge thanks to my beta Bunny you're the bestest!**

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><p>Gibbs had been way too overwrought and unsteady to drive himself and Tony home, so Ducky gently ushered them into one of the agency's sedans and—with Abby for an escort—brought them safely home. There had been a mob of press at the Navy Yard which Morrow had gladly taken on, giving them as many details as he was allowed while firmly letting them know in no uncertain terms that they were not allowed out at Gibbs's house. Under penalty of the strong likelihood that they could very well be escorted from the place at the end of a sniper's rifle. Mike Franks and Jackson Gibbs were camped out at a nearby hotel, and would no doubt be happy to join in the fray with their own service weapons.<p>

Consequently, they arrived to find the house the same as everyone had left it that morning—quiet, and waiting for its owners to return. Tony was nearly asleep, having been brought to a surprising level of calm by his family passing him around for nearly an hour while bestowing their love and attention on him. While no one was foolish enough to believe there wouldn't be after-effects for Tony, they noticed his breathing had calmed and some of his color had returned.

Gibbs had wrapped Tony in a hotel blanket after Ducky declared his arm injury to be just a painful sprain, and Fornell had suggested that they spend the night in the hotel suite, courtesy of the FBI. But Gibbs had wanted home, wanted his own bed, and knew that Tony would, too. So Kate and Tim had taken Fornell up on his offer of the suite and collapsed onto their double beds, not even caring that they were still fully clothed. Gibbs had brought Tony to them for a much insisted goodnight kiss and left them smiling in their sleep.

Once in the house, Ducky and Abby had bid loving farewells to their bubby and headed home to their own beds. Gibbs locked the door behind them and headed upstairs with Tony in his arms, not bothering to turn off any lights left on. Tony shifted in his arms, still drowsy, but recognizing that he was home.

"You rock me, Daddy?" he asked sweetly, as if the events of the past three days had never happened.

"Course I'll rock you, Bubba," Gibbs told him, heading into Tony's bedroom. "I'll rock you all night long if you want me to."

"I'd like that, Da," Tony sighed, reverting back to his old term for his dad and still trying to acclimate to the fact that he was truly in his father's arms and safe now.

Gibbs toed his shoes off and settled himself into the rocker by Tony's bed. Once situated, he pulled the blanket away from his son's face and peered lovingly down at him. He swore that once he was alone with Tony, he wouldn't cry, wouldn't frighten or upset his son with his teary breakdown…but he couldn't stop it. He was just too thrilled and beyond exhausted to hold back his emotions.

"Do you know how much I missed you, Bubba Gibbs? How worried I was about you?"

He cleared his throat and ran his hand down Tony's cheek.

"You're the bravest kid I ever met, baby boy, trying to get away from your -from that bad man that took you. I'm sorry he hurt your arm." Gibbs tenderly lifted Tony's splinted wrist and gave it a light kiss.

"It's okay," the little boy assured him. "It doesn't hurt as much now that Grandpa Ducky fixed it for me." He wrapped his good arm around his dad's neck and pulled Gibb's face down to his own. "I - I was - not really brave, daddy, I was very scared of those men and that I would never see you again."

"Well, baby, you were _right _to be scared, but that didn't stop you from trying to help yourself."

"Those - those bad men are - gone away now, to - jail or someplace?"

"Yes, baby. They're gone to a place where they can _never _hurt you again. Uncle Toby and I made sure of that after we found you."

"Uncle Toby helped finded me, too, didn't he, daddy?"

"Yes, he did_. Everyone _was looking for you, every minute of every day and we wouldn't have stopped till we found you." He brushed a wave of hair off Tony's forehead and kissed it.

"I called for you for help, did you hear me?"

"Yes, I _did, _Bubby, loud and clear," he told him, trying not to choke up again at his son's declaration. "And I'm really glad you did, 'cause it gave me hope that you weren't - too far away from me. Did you hear me calling to _you?"_

"Yes, sometimes. Sometimes I heard you in my dreams, sometimes it was in my heart. You were telling me you were coming for me and to not be scared...I heard you over and over again, so I knew you were looking for me, but I was still scared."

Gibbs choked back a sob and squeezed his son up to his chest.

"Yeah, I know, Bub. I would have been worried if you _weren't. _But you're okay now, you're safe. Now you can go to sleep and I'll be right here with you."

"Can I - can I - sleep in your bed tonight with you holding me? In case - in case I -"

"Wake up and don't know where you are?"

Tony nodded his head. "I really missed knowing you were right near me," he sniffed. "I don't ever remember a time when you weren't."

"That's 'cause I never wasn't!" He hugged Tony up to him again, rocking him in his arms now and not just in the chair, and heard Tony start to break into a sob. "When we're both calmed down a little better we're gonna go up to Grandpa Jack's at Stillwater and everyone's gonna come see us after a few days. We're gonna stay there until we're both ready to come home. Would you like that, take all the money in the Swear Jar and spend it at Grandpa Jack's store? I think between Uncle Toby and me there's probably fifty bucks in there. Aunt Kate had to put some in, too, and Abby. Grandpa Mike had to start his own jar, there wasn't enough room in mine."

Tony smiled at that, thinking of all the times his Grandpa Mike got in trouble for cussing and had to think of another word before the wrong one got out of his mouth. He loved his Grandpa Mike, swear words and all, even though some people were cross with him. Grandpa Mike was always gentle and fun, and was even protective of him against his other family members.

"I think that his jar is probably full, too," Tony sighed, and Gibbs could tell Tony's mind was still on something else, even though he had tried to distract him.

"What is it, Bubba, what's bothering you? You can tell daddy."

Tony let out another heartfelt sigh, along with another suppressed sob. "Well - I - when those men - took me - in the van, I - still had my boots on and-" The sob finally escaped. "I losted one of my boots that Aunt Katie bought for me!"

Gibbs couldn't stop the laugh that rumbled up from his tired chest.

"Oh bubby, yer something else! Would you stop crying if I told you that Abby has your other boot in her lab and she'll bring it to you in the morning?"

"Really? Some- somebody founded it?"

"One of Uncle Toby's workers found it. We had to give it to Abby to see if there was any evidence on it to help us find you. You can have it back, she doesn't need it anymore."

"Really? She won't get - in trouble for -giving it back to me?"

"Nope, chain of evidence, it goes from her back to you, I'll even have you sign for it."

Tony nodded, and swiped at his tear-filled eyes. "I wanna get in my PJs and go to bed, I'm really tired."

"Bet you are, my sweet boy. Let's go get ready and I'll read to you for a while. We were in the middle of that chapter of 'The Wind in the Willows', I think. Maybe we can finish it tonight."

"I'd like that, Daddy. I'm really glad to be back home…let's have waffles for breakfast tomorrow."

"Yeah, Bubby. Anything you want for breakfast, we'll get you. We'll take money out of the Swear Jars if we need to!"

"Okay, Daddy. But right now just help me get into my PJs and lay down next to me and read to me. I want to find out if Mr. Toad gets away from the washer woman."

Gibbs leaned down and planted another kiss on his boy's forehead, feeling like the luckiest person in the universe. Tony had come back to him against all odds, the same way he had been given to him. If he had his way, he'd never let him out of his sight again, but he knew that would never happen. His boy would adjust to what had happened to him with the help of his family, go back to daycare while his dad was at work, and eventually go on to live his life as his own man.

But for now, Gibbs could revel in being able to hold his son to him again, to help him into his favorite pajamas, read to him and then snuggle next to him for a well-deserved sleep. Just being in the moment with Tony, like he had tried to be before the nightmare had happened. Now, more than ever, he knew the significance of that practice, as he hoisted Tony onto one hip while he searched out PJs for him.

"Love you daddy, lots and lots. Forever," he heard Tony whisper into his ear.

"Love you too, buddy." He rubbed his boy's back soothingly. "Love you too."


	32. My Two Dads

**A/N: Just a late piece of fluff for Father's Day in my Unconditional universe. Not in sequence to my in-progress chapters. Thanks to my beta Bunny, who's worth her weight in gold!**

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><p>"Daddy?"<p>

"Yeah, buddy, whatcha need?" Gibbs stopped his weed-pulling for a moment to talk to his almost four-year-old son.

"I heard Uncle Tim say something to Kate about my daddy yesterday, but they weren't talking about you."

Gibbs sighed, cursing the two agents for not being more careful with their mouths. They often forgot how 'absorbent' their little friend was, and spoke inappropriately around him thinking he wouldn't understand them.

"What is it that you want to know, Bubby?"

"Well...I remember a long time ago..." the little boy pondered, pulling at his sandal strap. Two and a half years ago _was _a long time back for someone as young as Tony. "I think I lived somewhere else, with another daddy. But that can't be right, 'cause _you're _my daddy."

"Yup, buddy, I _am, _but...you _did _live somewhere else before you came to live with me. The man wasn't - he was your-"

Gibbs just didn't know how to explain it all to someone so young. He had been hoping Tony would be older - much older - before he caught on. Or better still, having him never catch on at all.

Those were no longer options, so he forged ahead.

"Was he my original daddy? Like Thomas in pre-school has two daddies?"

Gibbs had to chuckle to himself in spite of the serious subject matter. Leave it to Tony to work something like that out in his head.

"Yes, he was. He…he wasn't a very good daddy, though, he..."

Gibbs hesitated, not sure of how much to tell his soft-hearted child.

"He hurted me. I 'member now," Tony finished solemnly, tears starting to glisten in his green orbs. Gibbs readied himself to reach for his boy, hug him close until all signs of sadness were gone. "But then you rescued me. I was really little, but...I...sometimes I have dreams of a house and you and Aunt Katie finding me...and Grandpa Ducky was there, too."

Tony sniffed and wiped his errant eyes on his shirt sleeve.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's right, your…first daddy, your father, well, he got into some trouble and he...well, he-"

"It doesn't matter, Daddy, I don't care, I don't care at _all_! I was afraid of him, he - he hurt my arm and yelled at me! I don't ever want to see him again or go b-back to l-live with him! Please don't ever make me!"

Now Gibbs had no choice but to pull his little boy up to him and quell his all too real fears. He hugged him close and rubbed his back in soothing circles.

"I won't ever make you, Bubby, I _promise. _Uncle Toby made him go far away. He's not allowed anywhere near any of us. And you know that if he tried, I would make him go even farther away." _Permanently, like taking a dirt nap_, Gibbs wanted to add, but couldn't say that to his son.

"Would you shoot him with your gun from work?"

Well, so much for not being harsh.

"Well, I would try not to if I didn't have to, Bubby." _Worth every damned bit of paperwork and internal affairs interference that would come with it if I did have to._ "But I _would _do whatever it took to keep him away from you if I had to. You know that, don't you?"

"I know that, Daddy, and so would Aunt Katie and Uncle Tim and Uncle Toby. And Abby and Grandpa Ducky and Grandpa Jack and Grandpa Mike..." Tony heaved a breath into Gibbs's shirtfront, trying to think if he had forgotten anyone. "And Director Tomorrow. Yep, even Director Tomorrow."

Tony could never quite get that that wasn't Gibbs's boss's name. He'd heard him called Tom Morrow, and it had stuck in his head. Morrow thought it was cute. Gibbs found himself constantly having to correct his brain before he called his boss the same thing during work hours.

"Abby told me all about Father's Day yesterday, she says it's tomorrow. I mean, tomorrow after today."

"Yup, it is, bubby. Is that what made you start thinking all this stuff in your head? I mean besides Kate and Tim running their big mouths?"

Tony laughed at that, the last of his tears dissipating. He knew that his dad loved his team, but that they sometimes aggravated him, too.

"Yeah. I just - I don't ever want any daddy other than you, Da. In my dream, I let you pick me up and take care of me and I'm not even scared of you."

"Nope, you _weren't. _Weren't scared of Uncle Toby, either. You let him take you right out of my arms and walk you around with Rabbit. Or Grandpa Ducky, or Abby. It was like you knew we were gonna be good for you. Funny thing was, we didn't have any idea how good _you_ were gonna be for _us. _Wanna know a secret?"

Tony nodded his head, eyes wide in anticipation.

"I knew the minute I saw you, you were gonna be my boy. Don't know how, I just did. Wouldn't let anyone talk me out of it, no matter how smart they sounded. Just kept dingin' away at everybody till they saw things the right way - _my _way! And pretty soon, you _were _mine. And Abby's, and Uncle Toby's, and..."

"Grandpa Ducky and Grandpa..." Tony added.

"What's goin' _on _here, guys, I was told there was supposed to be _yard work _going on here today, not goofiness!"

Tony jumped off his dad's lap and ran over to Fornell, who had to drop the bag in his hand to scoop the boy up in his arms.

"Ahhh, there ya are, my bubby!" He laughed, and hauled the slight little boy onto his shoulders. "I think we should watch while you're dad works, how does that sound?"

"I think we should all go inside and see what you brought us in the bag!" Tony quipped, reaching down and patting Fornell's cheeks with his little hands. "Daddy said you might bring dessert and I wanna know whatcha brought!"

Both Fornell and Gibbs rolled their eyes and laughed at the cheerful child, and Gibbs put away his tools and turned to join them.

"Daddy and I were talking about my other daddy."

"Ohhh?" Fornell asked with lots of trepidation in his voice. He had dreaded this conversation as much as Gibbs. "And what did you decide about him?"

"That he was never my daddy, that I was just living with him until my _real _family came along and took me home. Da is my real daddy, and_ you've _been like my daddy, too, so tomorrow is for you and Da. Abby helped me make cards for you. You can't open them until tomorrow."

Fornell had to stop for a moment to get his bearings while his eyes watered a bit.

"Steady on, Tobias," Gibbs encouraged with a squeeze to his shoulder, and then one to Tony's skinny leg. "That's what comes of giving him his first toy. You're one of us now, whether or not ya wanna be. C'mon, let's go have that dessert before it gets stale."


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Ahhh, summertime...lawn mowing, weeding, gardening, canning...so relaxing? My apologies for taking so long with a new chapter. MANY THANKS TO BUNNY FOR THE BETA! Also. There was mention of Tony having too advanced language skills for a four year old, and honestly, it's been decades since my nieces and nephews were that age to really remember, but my three and a half year old great-niece was asked what the shape was on a kid's clock gotten for her to learn how to tell time, (it was a triangle) and she very matter-of-factly told her grandmother it was a parallelogram. So...who knows anymore, just depends on the kid, I guess. So let's say our Bubba is a bit on the precocious side!**

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><p>It had taken almost six hours for Gibbs to get to Stillwater, a normal four-hour drive stretched out by bathroom breaks, sight-seeing tours, and favorite diner stops. Ducky had ridden with them, and been endlessly regaled about the other children in Tony's daycare class, the moral and lessons behind the 'Wind In the Willows', and anything else that caught his imagination or popped into his head. Gibbs laughed to himself and rolled his eyes most of the time, while the elder M.E. traded deep thoughts and observances with his favorite little friend.<p>

Tony seemed to be accepting his terrifying experience of being abducted with unusual calm, and Gibbs feared the worst, that it would come back to haunt his son with a vengeance, and he wouldn't be able to ever make it right for him. But Ducky had a different outlook on the situation. He believed that, while Tony would probably never forget what he had been through at the hands of Ari Aswari and his biological father, he had a stable and loving enough family atmosphere to quell any major fears that might plague the boy.

Simply put, Tony felt safe with his father. And with three more of his extended family being federal agents of one sort or the other, his level of anxiety was manageable on an everyday basis. He had been assured that the two men who had terrorized him were gone to a place where they would never be able to do so again, and he trusted his daddy and Uncle Tobias enough that that was all he needed to know.

Whether he understood that 'gone to place where they could never hurt him again' meant six feet underground, he never said, but Ducky suspected that his surrogate grandson was astute enough to work things out and come to some sort of terms with it.

When they pulled into the sleepy town of Stillwater, Tony was just waking up himself. He'd been dozing himself for the last hour of the trip, and was now refreshed and ready to have a nice visit with his Grandpa Jack and see all the new tackle and bait the older man had promised to have ready for him when he got there. He hurriedly put on his favorite fishing hat as Gibbs pulled in the driveway to the old homestead, grabbed his 'Swear Jar' full of money, and rattled it around yet again as he waited for his father to come around and let him out of his car seat.

"You here to see yer Grandpa Jack or spend all yer money on fishing gear?" Gibbs teased the boy as he pulled him from the cramped quarters.

"Both!" Tony exclaimed, grin lighting up his face. "Grandpa Jack _knows _I came to shop in his store. He says he's got some new stuff just for me!"

"Don't forget that Grandpa Jack has dinner ready for us, so no buying a bunch of candy bars before we eat," Gibbs warned him gently. His son loved sweets, particularly chocolate, and Gibbs fought a constant battle to keep his team and associates from constantly supplying his son with Hershey Bars and homemade brownies.

"I won't, Daddy. I want to look at the new comic books anyways. Can I get a Three-Musketeers Bar?"

"You can buy one. To eat after dinner. You can sit and read your comic books and eat it."

Tony smiled joyfully at his dad, who smiled lovingly back. He never ceased to appreciate how easily his son was entertained, how much he loved simple joys that most other kids his age would find dull.

Tony was far from unimaginative. In fact, he had one of the wildest imaginations Gibbs had ever encountered. He just usually preferred quiet pursuits to raucous games and fits of wildness. Gibbs had encouraged his artistic side by providing paint sets and chalks, taught him to work with wood with the child's tools McGee had gifted him with, and spent time with him camping and fishing, teaching him skills of the woods and all sorts of bird songs, animal tracks, and flora. This year he was going to start T-ball, much to both his and Gibbs's delight.

He was still little for his age, though Ducky assured Gibbs the boy would eventually catch up and eat him out of house and home one day. But Tony's brain never stopped working and wondering and reasoning out things that perplexed him. He could make his way through a simple child's comic book well enough to be entertained for hours, going through it over and over again until he understood what was happening to the hero or heroine. He wasn't bothered by asking if he didn't understand something; his dad and Uncle Toby knew everything, and Grandpa Ducky, Abby, Aunt Kate and Uncle Tim were close behind.

Tony barreled through the screen door of his Grandpa Jackson's general store, to be immediately gathered up in the older man's strong and loving arms. Gibbs saw the tears glinting in his father's eyes, though the man was trying valiantly to suppress them. He knew his dad had been through as much hell as the rest of them waiting for Tony's rescue, and Gibbs had checked on him often to make sure he was holding up okay until they could get back to Stillwater. He would hear the shakiness in Jackson's voice and understand that the man was reliving the terror of his grandson's abduction. There was little he could do for the man but try to change the subject, and realize yet again how many victims there had actually been at the hands of Ari and Senior.

Gibbs watched as Tony and his grandfather reveled in each other's company, and for a fleeting moment, considered chucking his job and house and moving back to Stillwater, back to his roots and history and the safety of a small town. But in the end, he realized it was neither feasible (trying to find a good job in the area was nearly impossible) nor fair (the rest of their family in D.C. would be bereft without their Bubba in close proximity.)

"Daddy said I could buy a comic book and a Three-Musketeers bar to have after dinner."

"Good for him! Let's go see what came in!"

Jackson let Tony back down and they headed off towards the magazine rack.

"Make yourself to home, son, you know where everything is. Give the stew a look-see when you get in there, make sure it's not burning. We'll be in a bit. Gotta give the boy a quick tour of the new fishing tackle I just got in."

"Okay, dad. I'll set the table, but don't be too long, I'm starving to death."

"Alright, Leroy. We'll keep it short."

Gibbs headed for the house, and Jackson and his young grandson hurried over to the bait and tackle section of the quaint general store.

Feeling safe to talk with Gibbs in the house and his Grandpa examining the shelf in front of them, Tony sighed. "Daddy's worried about me not getting over what happened to me. So are Uncle Toby and Aunt Katie. They're all coming up here, even Grandpa Ducky and Abby, to make sure I'm going to be okay. I _told _everyone I was okay, why won't they believe me?"

Jackson looked softly at the boy, carefully choosing his words.

"Well, Bubby, you had a lot of us worried sick while you were gone, so maybe we're just not thinking straight quite yet. But sometimes when bad things happen to people, they seem okay for a while, maybe even a long time, and then all of a sudden something happens that reminds them of the bad thing, and they have a hard time handling it. They're just worried about that for you."

"I have nightmares, Grandpa. Daddy knows, he helps me afterwards with them. But they're not as many as before, and I don't think about what happened as much, either. I'm not afraid of those men coming back and hurting me again. Daddy and Uncle Toby made them dead, they _can't _come back."

"How do you know they made them dead, Bubba?" Jackson questioned, surprised.

"I could read their eyes when they came to see me afterwards. Daddy just said they were gone to a place they could never hurt me again, but I knew what he meant. I'm not glad they had to make them dead, but I'm glad I don't have to be afraid anymore."

Jackson wasn't sure whether he was happy or appalled to hear what was coming out of his grandson's mouth, but he knew he had to be sure to relay it to his son as soon as Tony was in bed and sleeping. He died a little inside to hear the sweet little boy who had stolen his heart talk about something so heinous in such a matter-of-fact manner.

But it _had _happened, and he knew that the one who needed the most healing was Tony, and if that meant coming to terms with his father and surrogate uncle killing his abductors, then so be it. Living in terror every moment, even while sleeping, was a thousand times worse than talking about people he adored shooting and killing other people who had hurt him.

"You know, Bubba, I think you're one hundred percent right about that. Sometimes you have to do things to people who hurt other people on purpose, so they won't ever do it again. Your daddy and Uncle Toby gave those two men choices, and they both chose the wrong path. They won't ever be able to hurt _you _or anyone else. And your dad and Uncle Toby will never get in trouble for doing it because besides needing to help you, they were also doing their jobs. Everybody's really glad that you're safe back home with them and those men can't make you scared anymore."

A small grin returned to Tony's face. "Uncle Toby's coming here, and so are Abby and Aunt Katie. Uncle Tim is driving up with Grandpa Ducky tomorrow. I don't know where we'll all sleep…you'll have to set up that tent you got last year!"

Jackson smiled at his grandson, not really sure if he had purposely steered them away from their dramatic conversation, or if he was just bored with it now and wanted to talk about his family. _Perhaps a bit of both_, he mused.

Well, he wasn't going to be the one to steer them back to it.

"Already set up in the back yard, Bubby. I thought maybe your dad and you could camp out there, and the others could have yours and your Dad's bedrooms."

"Oh, yes, let's! We could have a campfire and toast marshmallows and-"

"Alright, alright," Jackson scolded gently as he felt Tony getting ramped up about sleeping outside. "First things first, pick out your comic book, then dinner. After that, we'll come back and look over the tackle. Lots of new lures and spinners came in this week, just in time for you."

Tony squirmed down from his arms and hurried over to the magazine rack, grabbing up a Three-Musketeers bar on the way. His eagle eye and steel trap mind knew where everything was in his grandfather's magical little general store. Nothing new came in that he didn't spot, and he could have spent the summer instructing tourists where each and every item was, even if he didn't know what it was used for. He spotted not one, but two comic books that he wanted, and asked Jackson to 'put it on his tab,' making the older man laugh uproariously.

"So just how much did you come away with from those 'Swear Jars' of Tobias and Abby?"

"Over a hundred dollars. Daddy says I can spend half of it here, and have to put the rest in the bank. He's keeping the jars, one for home and one for work. He says there will be enough for me to go to cottage just from the jar at work. I don't know what he means by that."

"Cottage, huh?" Jackson stifled a grin. "Well, Bubby, don't worry about it. It's a good thing, but it's a long way off, and you might not even want to go there when it's time. Come on, let's go see if your daddy has the table set. I don't know about you, but I'm mighty hungry."

"Me too, and the quicker we eat, the quicker I can have my candy bar!"

"Well, Bubba, I can't argue with you there. Go wash your hands, I got out the step stool for you. Just be careful getting off it, don't go falling on that smart head of yours."

"I won't, Grandpa Jack!" Tony promised cheerily, and hurried off to the downstairs bath.

"You guys were gone a while. What'd he do, spend all his money already?"

"Nope, just his candy bar and two comic books. We _were _having a man-to-man talk about how he's dealing with what happened to him."

"And?" Gibbs turned to him, an anxious, expectant look on his face.

"And I think he's going to be just fine, Jethro, at least as fine as anybody can be after going through something like that. He _knows _they're dead, he knows you and Tobias killed them."

Gibbs winced uncomfortably.

"He tell ya that?"

"Yup. And he's okay with it. Seems he's_ very _okay with it. Not the part about you shooting the bastards, but the part about not having to live in fear of them coming afterhim. He has nightmares from what _did_ happened, not from what he's afraid _could_ happen. And they'll ease, youknow that."

Jackson laid a rough hand on his son's shoulder, and Gibbs met his eye as his father spoke. "All he knows now is that you and your crew will protect him, just like he knew you'd rescue him. So stop worrying so much about 'im and spend that time enjoying him. He'll be gone off to cottage before you know it."


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: My usual thanks to all who read, review, alert, favorite, follow, etc, this story and any others of mine, it's greatly appreciated. Also many thanks to my beta gotgoats on this one. And, last but not least, I got a little sideways on the last chapter and had Ducky arriving TWICE in Stillwater. It's what comes from writing the chapter in two parts and forgetting what I wrote originally. I'm STILL not sure how he got there, but rest assured, Grandpa Ducky is joining Bubba and his gang!**

The long summer Stillwater night had dissolved sweetly into morning, with a more relaxed Gibbs and more animated Tony at the breakfast table. It was the first night since his son's abduction that Tony hadn't woken with some sort of nightmare, and once again the lead agent found himself considering renting out his house and finding one to buy in hometown. His boy had always slept better in Stillwater, as if there was something in the air that calmed his sleep. But Gibbs was anything if not realistic, and soon relegated his thoughts on packing it in to just packing for more frequent visits to the bucolic village.

Tony had excused himself from the breakfast table to go peruse the tackle and bait isle before his grandfather's store opened for the day, and Gibbs happily cleaned up the dishes left behind, whistling a tune stuck in his head from one of Tony's many videos. Just as his hands hit the dishwater, his cell rang, and he was obliged to dry them off and retrieve the call. God forbid if it was Abby on her way there and he didn't answer her. He checked the number and smiled.

"Abs! What's going on?"

"How's Bubby, did he do okay on the drive up, did he sleep okay last night?"

"Yes, and yes. And I'm fine, too, by the way. Where are you?"

"About ten minutes out, we wanted to know if you wanted anything brought for breakfast, we can stop at..."

"Had breakfast, doing up the dishes, Bubba's already out picking out tackle."

"Excellent! Tell 'im not to get it all till I get there, I've been doing some research on line and I found which ones.." There was a scuffling noise, some muffled voices, and then Abby came back on the line. "Gotta go, Gibbs, just tell Bubby to wait up for me..."

"Will do, Abs, see you in a few."

He hung up, knowing full well that if he kept her talking, she'd still be on the phone with him while she was walking through the front door of the place. Sure enough, just as he was drying the last of the dishes, she came racing through the living room and into the kitchen. She'd only been to Stillwater a couple of times, but she had made it her mission to make herself a part of the place, and the place a part of her, and already she knew nearly every inch of the Gibbs house and the rest of the town.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs! Where's my Bubby? Did you tell him to wait for me?"

"Never got a chance, Abs, you were here before I could get out there. Don't worry." he consoled her, seeing her disappointed look. "They probably haven't even gotten to the tackle yet, Dad got a bunch of new comics in yesterday morning, quite the coincidence, don't you think?"

She beamed back at him, understanding.

"But neither of us believe in them, so your dad must have put in a special order for somebody."

"Yeah. Same with the tackle and lures. He's got fifty bucks to spend, Abs, don't be encouraging him to go over the limit."

"Oh, I would _never _encourage Bubby to do _anything _that was the least bit hinky, Gibbs, _you _know that!" she cooed, giving him a sly wink on the way back out of the kitchen.

"I _mean _it, Abs, fifty dollars! That's more than I spend on birthday presents for him!"

"Well then, maybe you need to consider dusting off your wallet from now on, cause fifty dollars is _not _enough for my Bubby's birthday satisfaction..."

"Abs, no more warnings..."

"Okay, Gibbs, no more warnings, _got _it!"

And so the rest of the day went, with Kate and McGee arriving not long after Abby and Ducky, and lunch becoming a raucous affair with sandwiches slapped together from cold cuts, peanut butter and jam, anything found and brought out from coolers and cupboards, and for a while, everyone forgot they were there to try to forget the week before, when their world was upside down and spinning out of control.

After lunch, Abby and McGee headed to the back yard and set up tents and cots and air mattresses while a luscious fall breeze swept through the back yard and stirred up leaves and the dusty remnants of summer. Tony watched them from the tire swing, too full from all he had eaten at lunch to help them, and just as happy to watch their silliness as Abby barked out orders and McGee tried to keep up with them. She accused McGee of making things way too complicated, and finally had to resort to finishing things herself when McGee stalked off and joined Tony at the swing, pushing him languidly to make sure he didn't cause any lunch to make a reappearance.

Kate and Ducky watched it all from the picnic table, sipping the last of the homemade lemonade, and taking turns taking pictures of the activities.

"I never want to let him out of my sight." she sighed, her eyes on Tony and the swing. "I know he's going to grow up and leave us but...I can't describe how it felt when he was..." She choked up, but steadied herself and went on. "How can we protect him, Ducky, we couldn't even keep him from his father and Ari, how do we keep him safe from now on?"

"We don't, my dear, and to fool ourselves into thinking otherwise will only cause more heartache. We cannot protect him from life, lest we turn him into some less than a human child. Deep loss is the price we sometimes pay for deep love; it's the terrible chance we take. The only easy solution would be to have never had him in our lives at all, and I myself cannot imagine my world without him in it. Granted, Leroy has benefited the most from the boy, but we _all _have had richer lives for the love and joy he brings us. Best to dwell on the here and now, and enjoy what's in front of us, not to waste time worrying about what may or may not ever happen."

'I know, Ducky, I just...I can't go through something like that with him again."

"And you won't, the chances of that are astronomical, especially now that his Senior is no longer lurking in the shadows. Let us not talk about it anymore, in fact, let's stretch or legs and head down to the local ice cream shop, I'm sure Bubby can cram at least an ice cream cone down after that huge lunch."

They stood up and gathered the crew from four corners of house and yard, then ambled noisily down to the parlor, just a few shops down from Jackson Gibb's store. Tony made the trip on his father's shoulders, and Gibbs squatted down on his haunches so that Tony could reach the window and give the girl inside his order, making him giggle hysterically. Everyone joined in his laughter, infected by his simple joy, and they stood eating their various cones and sundaes feeling more relaxed than they had in weeks. In fact, they were so enjoying the moment that only Tony, from his lofty perch, spotted the man heading towards them, in casual clothes and at a casual pace.

"Uncle Toby!" Tony squealed out, nearly dropping his cone on his father's head.

Sure enough, they all turned to see the Fibbie ambling towards them in blue jeans, sneakers, and light sweater. Gibbs reached up and grabbed Tony's cone before he had the chance to wear it, and now Tony had two free hands to reach out to his surrogate uncle and godfather.

"My bam-_bino!" _Fornell answered him in an affected Italian accent. "Come to la zio!" He hoisted a wriggling Tony down off Gibb's shoulders, and hugged him close to his chest. As soon as Tony was snuggled close to him, he closed his eyes, his previous silliness suddenly gone. "My bambino.." he cooed quietly into Tony's little ear. "Yer uncle Toby loves you and he will always protect you. You are his favorite ragazzino."

"I love you too, Uncle Toby." Tony whispered seriously in the Fibbie's ear and tightened his grip around the man's neck. "I'm glad you came up here, Daddy wasn't sure if you could get away."

"Wouldn't have missed it, Bubby." Fornell assured him, and tousled his hair.

"We're having a campfire tonight with hot dogs and s'mores and hot cocoa, and then we're gonna sleep out in the tents in the back yard. You don't have ta sleep out there, just us kids are gonna."

"Okay, Bubby, that sounds great!" He tickled Tony below the ribs, making him screech and squirm, and looked up to the faces of the rest of his 'family' to see the love and admiration there. When he had first fallen under the spell of a green-eyed toddler a couple of years ago, he worried that he would be seen as an interloper into the small, tightly-knit family of agents and co-workers, but instead, he had been welcomed whole-heartedly and accepted into the 'clan'. Nothing other than spending time with his own daughter made made him as happy as being amongst Team Gibbs and their little boy, and being counted as a dear uncle by him. Gibbs had shocked him on Tony's second birthday by asking him to be the child's godfather, a role Fornell took extremely seriously. He knew that in Gibb's line of work, there was always the chance the man might not make it home from his job one day, and he would be willing and ready to take over the role as Tony's dad.

"Bubba, come finish up your cone, it's melting all over my hand!" they heard Gibbs plead somewhere beside them, and looked up to see the man with chocolate ice cream streaming down his knuckles.

"Sorry, daddy!"

Tony scrambled out of Fornell's arms to retrieve his cone before his father finished it for him, and even licked the ice cream off Gibb's fingers, making the others laugh at his antics.

"Daddy always says 'ya waste not, ya want not. I couldn't waste chocolate ice cream!"

"Atta boy, Bubba." his father encouraged loudly and with a proud chuckle. "C'mon, let's head for grandpa's and see what Abby and McGee and Abby came up with for sleeping arrangements. It's probably about time to start a fire in the pit and get some dogs goin'."

"I brought potato salad and watermelon." Fornell chimed in, reaching down and grabbing Tony's free hand so he could walk with him. "I got a seedless one, so there'll be no spitting of seeds into people's plates, Mr. Gibbs." He looked down at Tony to see him studiously ignoring him as he finished his ice cream cone.

***************

The campfire dinner was as wild as lunch, with everyone over-eating and then further stuffing themselves on toasted marshmallows or S'mores. Afterwards, they all basked around the open flames, the first chill of autumn getting chased away by the large fire in the pit, and the sun setting its own fire through the maple tree branches full of colorful leaves. In the end, everyone quieted down, relaxing in the joy of just being altogether and safe. Tony was more than happy to be passed around from lap to lap throughout the night, snuggled and kissed and rocked into a blissful half-sleep until he ended up back in his father's arms and drifted off, his favorite fuzzy blanket wrapped around him.

"We got really lucky, Jethro." Tobias said quietly into Gibb's ear. "Lucky to get him away from his father not once, but twice. I dunno who we owe for that, but I think I may need to turn over a new leaf and go to Mass a little more often."

Gibbs smiled at the man, then smiled with understanding, then smiled down at the boy in his arms.

"I've said a prayer of thanks every morning and night since the first night he landed in my arms, Tobias. But it sure can't hurt to say a few more. Thanks for helpin' me with 'im, and for..." Gibbs voice started to crack as memories from the week before came flooding back. "..helping me find him and get him back." He squeezed the slight child closer to his chest, and Tony stirred with a sigh and grabbed back onto Gibb's shirt front with a snuffle. Gibbs ran a gentle hand over the side of his face to settle him. "Can't even stand to think about what…"

"Then _don't!" _Fornell chided, his voice stern. "Don't even _go _there anymore, Jethro! It's over, it's good, why _torture _yourself with it? Concentrate on getting him through the next few months 'til he stops having nightmares every night. The more _you _think about it, the more _he _will. He'll _know _what's on your mind, I can _guarantee _it, he doesn't miss a _thing, _our bambino!" Fornell ran a tender handthrough Tony's thick crop of sun-streaked hair. "The sooner _we _all get back to normal, the sooner he will. Hell, I bet he's coping _better _than any of us by now."

"Yup, think he _is, _Tobias. On that thought, he and I are gonna get some shut eye, we've had a busy day. You sleepin' out with us kids, Fibbie, or do ya need a mattress and springs anymore?"

"Ah hell, I've still got some camping genes left somewhere in my bones, besides, no worse than spending the night cramped up in a car on a stake-out. Point me to a tent, and I'll go grab my bag."

"Just pick one. Abby's got her own, whatever one you take, McGee will grab with ya. Just watch out though, he kicks, and grinds his teeth sometimes."

Fornell burst out laughing at the revelation. The man did know his team, no doubt about it. He wished he had the same rapport with his team, but knowing that Rick Sacks snored on stake-outs was about as deep as he got with any of them. No matter, he figured to himself. This bunch was all he really needed, and certainly all he could handle.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: This is a bit of a Jenny smack-down, just a plot-bunny suggested lo-o-ong ago by my reviewer friend Velveteen Habit but lost and forgotten during my big move. If you're a Jenny Shepard fan, you should probably skip this chapter, although it's sort of meant to be fun. Thanks to Bunny for the beta!**

* * *

><p>Almost as soon as Special Agent Jenny Shepard's plane hit the tarmac in D.C., word spread like wildfire throughout the walls of NCIS—she had just ended a long mission, and was already on a new one; that of bringing one Leroy Jethro Gibbs back into her sphere, one she had cast him out of in favor of a lucrative promotion to Lead Agent on a very hush-hush op. She had succeeded in ferreting out the notorious arms dealer nicknamed The Frog, and was basking in the glow of the accolades and maybe, just maybe, another promotion to that of Deputy Director of NCIS.<p>

There was only one thing missing from her agenda now, and she aimed to rectify that and fill in that blank. She had missed out on a lot of personal intelligence as to what was going on back at 'home' while she was deep undercover, but she knew Gibbs was still lead agent of the premiere MCRT, and that was all she needed to know. She would visit the headquarters the next day and seek him out, and if he wasn't up to his neck in a hot case, she'd talk him into going out for coffee, or maybe even lunch.

After all, it had been a few years since she had left him in the lurch with a vague explanation that although she was wild about him, she couldn't turn down a promotion that could ultimately advance her to where she wanted, _needed,_to be: in the Director's chair of NCIS.

She would be Gibbs's boss. She could make him do anything she wanted within legal bounds. Life wouldn't get any better than that, the directorship of a federal agency, and her jilted lover in her grasp. He could be worn down, she was sure of it, and made to see reason - after all, he hadn't been content to stay Mike Frank's probie for the rest of his career, why would she have had to be content being Gibbs's second? Just because she was a woman she shouldn't dare want something better?

By the nighttime of the day she had arrived in D.C., most of the NCIS employees had come together through water cooler or email to formulate their plan of attack. Though Gibbs had managed to cross quite a few of them over the years with his second-B attitude, most of them still really liked and respected the guy and adored his child, and weren't about to let someone who had dumped him with a Dear John letter think she was going to waltz in and try snagging him back, even if she _was _one of them.

Gibbs had no clue this was all happening; he and his team were off rotation for a few days, and he was using every minute of it to enjoy his son and work on some long-overdue home projects. If he _had _known what they were planning, he may have not done anything about it anyways. He had allowed Jenny into his world, into his heart. After the loss of his girls, he had trusted her not to hurt him, and in the end, she had tossed him under the proverbial bus for the sake of her career. He didn't begrudge her the promotion, he never expected her to be his SFA until one of them retired; it was the way she had gone about it, not letting him or anyone else know she had taken it, and then just not shown up for work one morning, letting him find out from Morrow where she was.

That night he had gotten so drunk on bourbon he had nearly hacked off his left thumb with the hatchet he'd used to destroy the boat he was building, nearly done and christened with the name 'Jenny True'. Jenny hadn't been so true. She could barely have hurt him more if she had run off with another man. He never mentioned her name again, and ordered what was left of his team not to do so, either. That was fine with them; her name was like ashes in their mouths after what she had done to their boss.

Plan in place, with Gibbs totally oblivious that Jenny Shepard was even in town, the folks at NCIS greeted her with the requisite semi-coolness she had expected from them. Well, it wouldn't matter in the long run, she'd be the boss of all of them eventually, and they could be diffident to her at their own risk. Her first order of business was to speak to Director Tom Morrow and get some intel on the lay of the land: who was working what team, who had retired or been fired, married or divorced. They would need to get to know each other anyways, if she was going to be his second in command.

He welcomed her graciously into his office, offering her congratulations and hot premium coffee, and then proceeded to fill her in on the goings on of the D.C branch of 'the company'. Jethro Gibbs was still team lead of the best MCRT, and yes, no, he wasn't married - again. She settled back in her chair, finally relaxed now that she had what she had come for. Morrow's eyes twinkled at her obvious relief and renewed mission. He had heard the scuttlebutt and had no intention of letting Ms. Shepard have another go at his best agent, regardless of her triumphant undercover stint. He was protective of all of his agents, but Gibbs in particular, knowing what the man had been through in the past. Not to mention he was fiercely protective of the man's young son, having grown rather attached to the boy in spite of his determination to be impartial to any employee's children.

He hadn't been the director when Agent Shepard had pulled her disappearing act. If he had been, he would have never let her promotion and new assignment be kept a secret from Gibbs, and was always amazed at the former director's duplicity in the matter. He wondered what Shepard had on him to make him go behind his top agent's back. Didn't matter now, the damage was done, but he would be damned if he let any more occur at her hands. He wished her well on her next post, never alluding one way or the other whether he thought it would be at the D.C. headquarters, and let her know that Gibbs was off rotation for a few days, but he'd let the man know she was back in town. He never mentioned Gibbs's latest housemate.

When Jenny left Morrow's office, she made the rounds to the bullpens, meeting new agents and re-connecting with veteran agents she had worked through her years as Gibbs's probie. Agent Balboa made sure he was around when she arrived, anxious to help her any way that he could. He wasn't surprised when the first thing she asked about was her former boss.

"Oh, yeah, he's off-duty for a couple days, but he'll be wanting to know you're back in town! He's always talking about the love of his life, green eyes, long lashes - must be _you _by the looks of it."

Her eyes widened a bit in surprise. She wasn't aware that she had ever been the love of Gibb's life, not compared to his first wife, Shannon, anyways. Well, this was hopeful. _Very _hopeful. She had already heard other agents talking in lowered voices about the green-eyed, long-lashed looker who had stolen Gibbs's heart some years ago. If this was truly the case, it was going to be easier than she first thought to win Jethro back. And who knew what they could accomplish with him as the premier team lead and her as the future Director of her beloved agency.

Heading down to Ducky's lab, she planned out her wardrobe for her surprise visit to Gibbs's place. If he was off rotation, he was working on a boat, she had little doubt of that. She knew how he holed up in his basement on days off, a good stash of lumber and liquor at his disposal. Let's see, she had that short, ever-fashionable little black dress that showed off her ample cleavage and long legs, and the shoes a friend of hers referred to as "ef-me heels" that made her legs look even longer. A visit to the salon for a manicure and pedicure, and that would be that.

She stepped out of the elevator to almost run face to face into Abby Sciuto, the _one _person she had hoped not to encounter in this visit 'home' to the D.C. branch. She knew the maelstrom she had caused among Gibbs's original team, and was more than glad they were working elsewhere now, but Abby was a mainstay for NCIS as long as Gibbs was there, and she knew the type of anger and grudge the young Goth could hold towards someone who had done her Silver Fox wrong in any way.

But the forensic scientist merely gave her a quick smile that actually seemed sincere, and headed into the waiting elevator. Huh. Maybe enough time had gone by that the girl had mellowed some. It didn't matter, Abby was nothing but a grunt even if she _was _brilliant at her job. Once she was Gibbs's main girl again, _and _Deputy Director, she could make Abby disappear. To Los Angeles or quite possibly a Mid Eastern NCIS post.

Floating into Autopsy, she side-stepped a newly 'excavated' body to find the M.E. and speak with him. He would be the last word in what was going on with Gibbs, the man was Gibbs's only confidant, and extremely good at keeping secrets, but he could be persuaded on occasion to give up a few valuable bits of intel.

"Ahh, Ms. Shepard, how interesting to see you down here! I heard of your most recent success in bringing down that terrible La Grenouille. That was inspired work, truly. And what brings you to my office this fine morning?"

"Well, thank you, Dr. Mallard. It was a long time coming, but it was a team effort, I assure you. And I came to ask you a rather personal question, I'm afraid, but I really don't know who else to ask. It's about Jethro."

"Ohh. I see! Well, he's off rotation for several days, they've been working a very difficult case that just got resolved and-"

"Yes, I know, I…I was thinking of asking him out - er, to go for out for a cup of coffee with me, catch up on things."

"Oh. Well, my dear, I…I can't speak for Jethro, but-"

"Ducky, Balboa told me Jethro talked all the time about the love of his life, with green eyes and long lashes. I always thought _Shannon _was the love of his life, I mean - you _know _he and I had something good, but…I wanted more than he was willing to give and when I knew it wasn't going to happen for me, I moved on when I had the chance. I know I hurt him deeply, so-"

"Did you want to have children, my dear?"

"What?" His question threw her totally off-guard. What in the world did _that _have to do with anything? "Did I - uh, no, not really, I didn't have _time _for them."

"Ah, I see. Quite possibly the source for Jethro's reticence when it came to making a lifetime commitment to you."

"Yes, he talked about wanting more, but he never said it was a deal-breaker."

"Hmmm. Well then, perhaps it wasn't, then. Do you want them now?"

"Ducky, why are you asking me that? Jethro's forty-something years old, he can't possibly be interested in raising a child anymore. Besides, his career is _everything _now_, _he's too embedded in this place."

"Yes-s-s, perhaps you're right. Well, I suppose there would only be one way to find the answer to that, and that would be to ask him straight out, perhaps over that cup of coffee you were just talking about."

He gave her an engaging smile, his eyes twinkling with some unknown delight. She let it go, knowing he was given to all sorts of eccentricities.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I _do _need to finish up the exam on this poor Chief Petty Officer for Agent Gray."

"Oh, yes, of course, Doctor," she demurred politely, heading for the door.

"You _will _let me know what comes of it, won't you? I _do _so enjoy hearing Jethro speak of the light of his life. Those green eyes have done him a world of good!"

She blushed in spite of herself, a thrill running through her at the thought of being back in control, back in Leroy Jethro Gibbs's sphere of influence. Or was it the other way around? No matter, she realized. You actually _could _have a do-over for some things!

She headed for the salon, and then for home to slip on that dress and those heels. It was only 1400, plenty of time to spare before showing up at Gibbs's door and surprising him with an offer for dinner at the Adam's House. She'd have to wait for him to shower and dress, knowing he'd be grungy from working in the basement, but she'd sip his cheap bourbon while he transformed into something presentable for the posh hotel restaurant.

Meanwhile, Gibbs was indeed at home in his basement. Tony had suggested earlier that week that they should make toys for the fundraising auction at the little church down the street that they sometimes attended. Gibbs had made some wonderful ones for him that had delighted him hours on end, and although he was aware there were toys vastly more complex and high-end than his own, it never occurred to him that his dad's might be considered inferior. Gibbs had taken one of Tony's own toys to show them and they were thrilled with the thought of having them for the fundraiser. So he and Tony had gathered up lumber and supplies the past week, planning out just what they were going to create for the little church auction and waiting for a block of time to work on them.

Tony was in charge of sanding them, rounding off the rough edges after Gibbs cut out the designs with his saw. Some of them required a jig saw, but that was as technical as he let himself get with them, wanting to keep them as true to hand-hewn as possible. When they were all sanded and laid out, Gibbs applied the stains and finishes after Tony went to bed, and, dry by morning, they would work on assembling them together. Sometimes when Gibbs watched his boy diligently sanding the wood with his skilled little hands, tongue stuck out at the side of his mouth, he thought about how Tony had managed over the past two and half years to sand off an awful lot of rough edges off his dad, too.

This afternoon, they had done the last of the detail work on the toys, dabbing bits of color and adding any wheels, rope, or string to them. They were standing admiring their wonderful collection when they heard the doorbell ring. Gibbs grabbed Tony up in his arms and they made their way to the front door, both still grimy with paint and sawdust. Neither cared. Whoever it was was either family, as in a team member or Ducky, or a stranger, usually a salesperson of some sort. He set Tony down behind him, just to be safe, until he knew who was waiting on the front step. After never locking his door for years, he had become ultra-conscious about who showed up at his house ever since he brought his baby boy home.

Today, however, he wished he had ignored the doorbell and let the team member let themselves in or let the stranger go disappointedly on their way.

He opened the heavy oak door to find Jenny Shepard waiting on the other side, dressed in a drop-dead gorgeous dress and heels, hair tucked in a soft, elegant ponytail. He had no idea she was even in town, and more importantly, why she had chosen to show up on his doorstep. What the hell was she thinking?

"Are you drunk, Jen?" he finally asked her when he could finally gather his scattered wits.

"Of _course not, _Jethro, why would you say such a thing?"

"'Cause honestly I don't know why you think I'd wanna see your face again after what you did to me."

His voice was calm and quiet, but there was a foreboding edge to it, and she took an unconscious step back from the door.

"Jethro, Balboa and Ducky told me you were _talking _about me, that you talked all the time about the love of your life with the green eyes and long lashes...I heard the others talking about me," she told him desperately.

"Bubba, c'mere." Gibbs turned around and picked up his son, who shyly put his head on his dad's shoulder and rubbed the back of Gibb's neck nervously. The agent turned back to his former probie, and all but shoved the boy in her face.

"They were yankin' yer chain, Jen. _This _is the love of my life, so take your little black dress somewhere where it's appreciated, yer not getting back into my life, _or_my good graces, now or later."

What. The. Hell. Jenny stared at the little boy latched onto her ex-boss and lover. His eyes were a startling green, more emerald than her own mossy green ones, and long, feathery fawn-like lashes batting tiredly over them. The bastards at NCIS had been leading her on the entire time. No wonder they'd been so friendly to her. No wonder the little bitch Abby had smiled at her. They were all in on it, except for Gibbs. Her eyes flashing with rage, she felt the heat flooding her like wildfire over drought-ridden grass, and couldn't keep her jaws from clamping together in fury. She couldn't think of single thing to say that could be said in front of little kid anyways.

"Gotta go, Jen, but it's been fun talking to you," was all he said to her before closing the door in her face. Oh, that had felt so good.

"Who was _that, _Daddy?" Tony asked, trying to stifle a big yawn and failing miserably.

"Just somebody who used to work with me stopping to say 'hi '." Gibbs laughed and tousled his son's head of curls. "Come on, let's get some dinner and then we'll get ya a bath and some stories. It'll be bedtime by the time we're done with it all."

"Okay, Daddy. I _am _kinda tired. It has taken a long time to make all those toys."

"Yup, and you did a really good job helping me with them, they all look great, so no wonder you're tired. We'll take them over there tomorrow and see what else they're auctioning off. Linda said there's going to be a dinner before the auction, so we'll make an afternoon of it."

Tony yawned again and Gibbs chuckled to himself. The little boy had been determined to make as many toys as they could and contribute all his energy into helping with them.

"That'll be fun. Maybe Grandpa Ducky would like to join us, I think Miss Leslie and him would like each other."

"Yeah, they might, Bubba. We'll call him before we go to bed. Just don't be tryin' to play match-maker with them; if they're gonna like each other, they're gonna do it on their own."

"That lady at the door just now liked you. But I didn't like her. She was mad at you when she left, I could see it in her eyes."

"Yeah, well. She wanted something that she had no right asking for. I just told her I didn't want to be friends with her anymore. Someone told her I did. She won't bother me again."

"Should I ask Uncle Toby to arrest her?"

Gibbs burst out laughing, and set Tony down in his usual dining room chair.

"Sure, Bubba, we'll give him a call. You can talk to him while I'm making us some dinner."

He handed Tony his cell, and the boy flipped it open and punched the number for Tobias Fornell. As soon as soon as his son was old enough to understand, Gibbs had started teaching him how to use his phone. He wasn't going to give him one anytime soon, but he wanted Tony to know how to use it and who to call in case of an emergency. Abby had programmed all of their numbers into it on speed dial, and Tony had memorized the single numbers to match his family. That included Fornell.

The cell rang only once before a voice familiar to Tony came on the other end.

"Yeah, Gibbs, what's up?"

"Uncle Toby, how did you know that it was _me?"_

A throaty laugh came out of the speaker.

"Bubby, I saw your number on my phone. What's goin' on, is everything okay?"

"It's fine, Daddy's makin' dinner. He told me I could call you, a woman with red hair came to the door a few minutes ago an' got mad at Daddy, I asked Daddy if I could have you arrest her."

There was a pause on the end of the line. This information was a bit concerning to the FBI agent. Who was threatening his friend, the father of his bambino?

"Can I talk to yer Daddy, Bub, I need to ask him something first."

"Yeah, he's right here."

Tony handed the phone up to his dad.

"Gibbs. Don't wanna talk to my boy?"

"What the hell's goin' _on, _there, Jethro? Who's this woman comin' to yer door and-"

"Easy, Tobias, it was Jenny."

"Jenny as in 'Dear Jethro' Jenny?"

"Yeah." Gibbs slipped the cheese on the bread for toasted cheese sandwiches and tossed them on the griddle. "Seems the people at work got her convinced she was the green-eyed love of my life. She came here struttin' her stuff in her little black dress and fuh- ,er, stiletto heels. Met her at the door with a kid in my arms."

Gibbs smiled as the laughter erupted on the other end.

"Yeah, bet that set her back on her ass for a while. She turn as red as her hair?"

"_Oh _yeah. She was plenty pi…er, severely annoyed with me, and everyone else she'd talked to at work. I had no idea she was even in town."

"So is he gonna arrest her?" Tony asked, impatiently turning to his dad.

"You gonna arrest her, Tobias?"

"Tell the bambino I'm hauling her in for being so stupid and egotistical as to think you'd want her back in your life after what she did. Nah, just tell him I'll take care of her for ya, don't give him any details. He has a wild enough imagination as it is."

"Will do, Tobias. You wanna come to the church auction Saturday? Bubba and I made some nice toys for it, you should see them before they get snapped up. Dinner's at 3, auction's at 5. Ducky'll probably be there, too."

"Yeah, I'll be there if I don't get called in on a case. Tell the squirt I'll see him soon."

"Yup, got it. Gotta go, my sandwiches are burning."

Gibbs hung up with that, knowing Fornell was well-versed in his non-existent phone manners, and turned back to rescue the smoking cheese and bread.

"Uncle Toby says he'll take care of her for me and that he'll see you at the dinner and auction Saturday if he doesn't get called into work."

Gibbs waited for a response and got none. Odd from the little chatterbox that was his son. He flipped the sandwiches and turned towards the table, only to find Tony sound asleep, head resting on crossed arms.

"Ahhh, Bubby..." he sighed, disappointed that Tony had fallen asleep on an empty stomach. He'd wake up cranky and hungry later, and then Gibbs would have a difficult time finding something he could eat before bedtime. But he would do it anyways. He would do just about _anything _for the green-eyed, long-lashed love of his life.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: This chap's for the very patient Velveteen Habit,whom I must thank for keeping me on task (or at least trying to) and helping me when I was 'stuck'! Tony's not quite four years old in this. **

For the second night in a row, Gibbs had walked the floor with a miserable little boy in his arms, trying all manner of tricks to soothe and comfort him enough to get him to sleep. His little head was stuffed full, even though his nose ran constantly, and his chest was starting to make that awful barking sound whenever he coughed. His dad could see him trying not to wince and whimper when he couldn't hold back any longer, and rubbed and patted his back until it passed.

Gibbs could only guess where Tony had picked up his cold, but if he was going to wager, he would bet it had been from the time he and Tony had spent ringing the bell for donations at with the Salvation Army kettle drive the week before. Wasn't really anyone's fault, and Gibbs understood that, really, he did, but it was difficult to remember that fact when it was past bedtime and his boy was unable to find anything of comfort while trying quite unsuccessfully to breathe through his nose, keep snot from running down to his chin, and not cough because now it was making his chest hurt. Just like his dad, Tony rarely got sick, so when he did, he looked upon it as a personal failure, a weakness in his make-up, which made him doubly miserable.

"Whataya wanna do, baby, wanna listen to some music, that always calms ya, or we could watch a movie. Uncle Toby mentioned stopping by after work, I could have him pick up some ginger ale and those cookies you like so well."

"Want Gampa Ducky.."

"Gampa Ducky can't come right now, he's gotta finish something at work."

Gibbs expected another long sob and wasn't surprised when Tony started winding up to give him one. He desperately wanted to help his baby boy, but was at wit's end at how to do it.

"Let me call Uncle Toby, he always makes you laugh and be silly, or how 'bout Abby, she'll come watch Rudolph with you again, I bet."

Tony was silent, well, as silent as he could be breathing through his mouth, while he thought it over.

He and Abby had had lots of fun last week watching the classic Christmas special. They'd made cookies and decorated them before hand, and even his daddy had stopped his chores and watched some of it with them. Finally he nodded his head on Gibbs' shoulder.

"Can't eat cookies, though. Not hungry."

"Nah, I bet yer not, little man." Gibbs un-pocketed his phone and hit the Goth's speed dial button.

Less than half an hour later she was at the door, cooing and clucking over Tony and his misfortunes.

She cradled him and sang old Cajun lullabies, and Tony settled some, distracted by her voice and the odd mix of languages she was singing them in.

"Got the tape loaded in, I'll get him some more juice while you guys get settled."

Abby nodded and kissed the little boy's forehead, then beamed down at him, rubbing his head soothingly.

"_You _kind of look like Rudolph _yourself _with your little red schnoz, baby boy!" she giggled, lightly tapping his abused nose. We need to make sure the Abominable Snowman doesn't find you and eat you up!"

"But you said the Abonible Snowman doesn't _live _around here..." he countered, covering his nose with his hand, just to be safe.

"Oh, he doesn't, Bubby, he lives _waa-a-ay _far away from us, up at the North Pole. He would never find you here, and besides," Abby quickly backtracked, "Herme knocked out all of his teeth, he can't bite you or eat you, remember?"

"But you just said..."

"I was teasing you, Bubby, I never should have made fun of your poor little nose. Did Grandpa Ducky give Daddy something for it?"

"Daddy put some salve on it, it feels a little bit better. I still can't breathe, though..."

"Oh, I _know, _Bubby, and that's gotta be _so_ frustrating! C'mon, let's go get settled, I brought you some popsicles to suck on, they'll make your throat feel better. There's cherry and orange, pick one out and we'll put the rest in the freezer."

"Cherry, please!"

"Good choice, my good man! Go get on the couch, I'll put the rest away and come right back out!" 

Tony padded to the cushiony plaid couch, over-loaded now with pillows and blankets and books and boxes of Kleenex, and crawled up onto it, rearranging himself amongst the stuff as he waited for Abby's return. She and Gibbs arrived back at the couch together, Gibbs carrying a tray of drinks and snacks. The three of them got comfortable, snuggled under blankets with Tony between them, and settled down to watch the classic hour of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" for the third time that season. Admittedly, Gibbs dozed through most of it now, legs stretched out on the ottoman, arms crossed at his chest, and looking very absorbed, but soon his breathing evened out and he was free of the dentist elf and his strange singing companions. Tony was so taken in by the stop motion creatures and their antics that he never noticed his daddy was lightly snoring next to him.

Tonight was no exception, as he'd gotten little sleep the past couple of nights from trying to appease a sick, unhappy child, but Tony took no notice, sucking on his popsicle and leaning into Abby, his legs folded of to one side of him. She smiled down at his orange mouth, and rubbed his head lovingly.  
>Sometimes she just couldn't get over that they all had the wonderful little boy in their lives, and what a change he made in all of them. Now he had finally fallen into a somewhat deep slumber, along with his dad, she carefully schooched out from beside him, covering him with his favorite blanket before she grabbed her coat and purse and readied to leave. She heard Gibbs stir, and sat down on the other side of him.<p>

"Mission accomplished, Bossman, baby's asleep, think maybe that cold medicine Grandpa Ducky gave him might've finally kicked in."

He sighed and rubbed his face, adjusting his bleary eyes to her talking face.

"That's great, Abs, thanks. I'm gonna let him sleep here for a while, don't want him waking when I move him."

"Yer welcome, Gibbs." she told him with a smile and a kiss to his stubbled cheek. "Call me if you need me again, you know I love spending time with my Bubby."

"Yup, I do, Abs. Drive safe, I'll talk to ya tomorrow."

"Yupper!" She patted his arm and headed out the door, and he laid his head back on the couch, blissful that they could finally catch some sleep, his right hand reaching out to squeeze and then rest on his son's little leg.

When he woke what he thought was a short time later, he was a surprised, and a bit worried, to find that Tony had moved from the couch, then decided he must have gone upstairs to bed on his own, not wanting to disturb Gibbs. He had done it before, and Gibbs had admonished him for it, telling him to wake him up the next time, and Tony had seemed to be clear on it. But he may have forgotten with his cold; between not being able to breathe properly and all of the meds they were trying to help him with, he'd been a little out of it the past few days.

Gibbs noticed Tony's blanket was gone and smiled. The thing was getting ratty, but his son refused to let his dad buy him a new one. Aunt Katie had bought it for him not long after he'd first come to Gibbs' place, and it had not only the memory of comfort, but of a doting mother-figure at a time when he was frightened and insecure in his new world. Gibbs didn't fuss much about it, mostly teased him, but he never threatened to take it away from Tony. Hell, if the kid wanted it into his teenage years, he'd figure out a way to make it happen for him, like commissioning Abby to make a backpack from it.

He flicked on the stair's light switch and made his way up, expecting to find Tony sprawled out on his bed grasping his blanket, and his gut did a flip to find the thing empty.

"Bubba? Tony, you in the bathroom?" he called, certain there was a reasonable explanation for his son being missing from his sight. He had been very strict about Tony not going down to the basement by himself, and the boy had never disobeyed his orders regarding the off-limits room, and he was pretty sure Tony didn't sleep-walk, though considering all the cold medicine in the kid, it could happen.

Part of Gibbs was ready to panic, the other part told him he'd never find his son if he let himself get crazy with fear. He would have known if someone had broken into the house, and he was sure Abby had locked the door behind her, she and the others had gotten as paranoid about Tony's safety as he was. He took a deep breath and steadied himself, then proceeded to search every inch of the upstairs,

with a growing sense of foreboding. Where in the hell was his kid?

Racing downstairs, he continued to yell for Tony, trying not to threaten in tone or words, but he was starting to lose it. There was no sign of him, not even in the basement, and in his panic Gibbs almost missed seeing the little chair by the back door. What the – it couldn't be, why in the world would Tony want to go outside this time of night, and in this kind of weather?

He ran for his strongest flashlight and thought to grab a blanket, not really caring at the moment just _why _son was outside in the snowy, freezing-cold weather, only that he needed to find him, and fast.

His mind ran amok with thoughts of the condition in which he would find Tony, if all he was wearing were the clothes he had on when he fell asleep watching Rudolph, and he searched his brain for any memory of something he might have said to upset his son and make him run away.

Nothing came to mind as he bolted out the door and swung the light beam around the fenced-in yard, and he concentrated on finding Tony now instead of making sense of his wild thoughts. In reality, there was no way Tony could climb the fence, Gibbs had made sure to build one that was impossible for the little boy to scale, and painful for strangers to climb over. Besides, Gibbs knew it just never occurred to his son to even do such a thing, he was inseparable from his dad, and was loathe to stray too far from him.

''Bubba? It's daddy! You out here? Bubba? Answer me, please! It's okay, yer not in trouble, I just wanna bring ya back into the house! Tony?"

He saw him before he heard him, a quiet, high-pitched keening, and nearly dropped the flashlight in his hurry to locate his son. His heart nearly leaped out of his throat when he spotted Tony, huddled in the brick barbecue pit he and the team had erected at the beginning of the summer. Running towards him, slipping in the wet snow, it occurred to him to call Ducky, and yanking out his phone one-handed, he slammed the M.E.'s speed dial number.

"Duck it's me need you at my place Bubba's outside out back don't know how long he -" the words tumbled out so fast the older man had difficulty understanding him.

"Jethro, slow down, what is happening?"

"Bubba went outside, didn't know it, don't know how long he's been out here -"

He pocketed the flashlight, dropping to his knees, and scooped up his son, cradling him close and not knowing whether to check him over then and there or run back into the house with him.

"Jethro, I'm on my way, bring him into the house and run a _warm _bath for him, _not hot, lukewarm, _I will be there in minutes."

Gibbs pocketed the phone without hanging up, and hugged his son to his chest, trying to find the blanket he had brought out with him and realizing he had dropped it in the snow somewhere along the way. He felt around the bricks and his hand crossed Tony's blanket; he snagged it and flung it around the boy's shivering body hoping to hold some heat in between it and his own body.

"D – daddy?" a squeaky sob rose up to his ears.

"Right here, baby, I gotcha, we're goin' to the house now, I'm gonna run a warm bath for ya, you'll be fine."

"Y – you can't stay -w-with me, the Ab – Abby – bominal snowman w-will find you!"

"No, no he _won't, _buddy." Gibbs answered back, trying to think quickly. "I sent Aunt Katie and Uncle Tim out to take care of him for us, he won't bother us anymore."

"Dey -dey shot him?"

"Yup, they shot him." Gibbs assured, hurrying back to the house and locking the door behind him.

"No more Abominal out there to get you."

He bounded up the stairs to the bathroom and set Tony down on the toilet seat, kneeling down in front of him to get a better look at him in the light.

"You sit right there for a sec, I'm gonna get a bath goin' for ya."

"But I – I had a b-bath tonight, D – daddy!"

"Know ya did, kiddo, but this one's gonna warm ya up a little bit, you look a little cold to me, are you feeling really cold?"

"Meh – my teeth are sh-shaking, but – I brought my ba -blanket out with me, s-so, I'm oh-okay..."

Gibbs tossed in some bubble bath into the water hoping to entice his son into getting into the tub without a lot of fuss, then turned to start peeling shoes and socks and damp p.j's off.

"Good thing ya wore yer shoes out there, buddy, that was a smart thing to do." he commended, trying to find something positive to say Tony so he wouldn't scream at him and ask him what the hell he thought he was doing going outside in his pajamas in the dark without telling him.

"Didn't wanna – slip and – have the 'bominal find me."

"No-o-o, ya wouldn't wanna do _that, _would you, Bubba?"

Gibbs could feel the unreasonable anger rising up in him now that the fear that had had his guts in a knot was easing. He knew what an imagination his son had, and most of the time he thought it was pretty interesting, even funny most of the time, but _this _time...

He yanked the pajama top off Tony's head, realizing he was being a bit rough, and winced at the squeal the boy made when it caught on his sore nose. Tony saw the grimace, and the glint of ire in his father's eyes, and immediately burst into tears.

"I – I – I'm sorry, Daddy, I d - didn't mean to - to make you m – mad! I was t-trying -"

"Hello, are you up there, Jethro?" came the M.E.'s voice up the stairway.

"Grandpa D -Ducky?" Tony gasped. "Y – You _called him?"_

"' _Course _I called him, Tony, you were outside in the freezing-cold with nothing on but your pajamas, on top of having a bad cold, now get in the tub, see if you can get warmed up a little!"

Gibbs knew his voice was harsher than it needed to be, but nothing was making any sense to him at the moment, and that was never a good thing, especially when it concerned his son.

"Buh – but I -" Tony's words were cut short when his father lifted his shivering body up and into the tub and settled him, then started splashing some of the warm water around his shoulders, making the little boy's teeth chatter uncontrollably as a chill cascaded through his body.

"_There _you are, my good sirs!" Ducky greeted them amiably, knowing the atmosphere was bound to be tense at the very least. He set his medical bag down on the nearby clothes hamper and settled himself on the chair by the tub. "So tell me about this adventure of yours, Anthony."

"Nuthin' to _tell, _Ducky, thought he'd go outside with - "

Ducky placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder, giving it a squeeze to get the man's attention.

"Jethro." he interrupted quietly. "He is already upset. With his head and nose so congested, if you get him sobbing, he will not be able to breathe properly. At the moment, he looks like he will be just fine once the bath warms him up. Why don't you go fetch him some dry socks and pajamas, perhaps those new flannel ones Caitlyn bought for him last week?"

Gibbs harrumphed and stood up, his face still stormy, but he said nothing and went in search of the fresh pj's. Ducky took the time he was gone to get to the bottom of what had happened, and leaned over the tub to put a gentle hand on Tony's head.

"Anthony, can you tell me what happened just now? I mean, why you were outside all by yourself? That's just not _like _you to do something that foolish, I know you must have had a very good reason."

"Abby s -said my nose glowed like Rudolph." he sniffed hard, trying to collect himself a little so he could explain his actions to his surrogate grandfather. "I – I didn't want the 'bominal Snowman to find me and hurt Daddy!"

"Why do you think he would hurt your _father_? Why not you, too?"

"He would – Daddy would let the 'bominal take him away to save me! I couldn't let that hap-happen!"  
>he sobbed pitifully, his shoulders heaving as the stress of the situation finally caved in on him.<p>

"There, there, Anthony, it's all over now, your father is safe, you are safe, the Abominable Snowman is – where is the creature, Jethro?"

"McGee and Kate took care of him." Gibbs informed him quietly as he headed for the bathtub to comfort his son. He squatted down next to it and wrapped a loving arm around the shaking shoulders, and kissed the top of his head. "It's alright now, bud, calm down." Gibbs waited until Tony's sobbing form seemed to get some form of control, kissing and rubbing tears from the boy's face. "Grandpa Ducky is gonna take yer temperature and then we're gonna get ya dressed and go make ya some hot chocolate. That sound okay to you?"

Tony nodded slightly. The fact that his father was giving him choices told him that the hottest of the man's anger had passed, and that he needn't be on the edge of collapse from worry of being yelled at further.

"Sorry I lost my temper with ya, bud, ya scared the hell outta me when I couldn't find ya anywhere. Then when I found ya outside in the freezing-cold..."

It was all that Gibbs could think of to say after hearing why his son had purposely left the house without supervision or permission, something the boy had never done once since coming to live there.

Not that he wasn't _thinking _a hundred other things, just nothing he could formulate at the moment that wouldn't come out of his mouth in a garbled, unintelligible stream of paternal protectiveness mixed with something unamable – Gibbs wasn't sure if it was pride or fear or wonder – but it was fierce, whatever it was, and it almost hurt, _physically, _it burned so strong within him.

He was jolted back to his days with Kelly, where she would simultaneously accomplish something so amazing he wasn't sure whether to be overwhelmingly proud of her or start worrying that she was so fearless that she might do something utterly foolish in the name of helping someone, or just plain impressing her dad. His three and half year old son had just done the former, leaving him stunned with the realization of just how much Tony was willing to do for him. It was supposed to be the other way around.

Choking down his rioting emotions, he had had to turn away from Tony until he could gain some semblance of control.

"I'll get a towel for ya, Bubba. And some toilet paper for yer nose."

"Needa - whole - roll of it." Tony sniffed and murmured into his chest as Ducky checked his temperature with the ear thermometer, and both the M.E. And Gibbs chuckled to themselves in spite of the situation.

"I'll get ya whole roll of it then, buddy. C'mon, let's get you out of the tub, you look a little better than when I put ya in there."

"I'm not cold anymore, Daddy. Just got goosebumps still."

Gibbs flashed a look at his doctor friend, who nodded the okay to take Tony out of the tub.

"Still a touch on the high side, so no sign of hypothermia. He should be fine other than his current stuffy head and nose." Ducky proclaimed, rubbing a loving hand over the boy's curls. "Get him dried off and I'll go make us some hot chocolate."

Some ten minutes or so later, Gibbs carried Tony downstairs to find the living room set up with mugs of hot cocoa and decorated Christmas cookies someone had brought the day before. He'd decided that even if Tony wasn't interested in eating one, Gibbs sure looked like he could use a jolt of holiday cheer, or at least some sugar for his flagging adrenaline. They settled onto the couch, and Ducky helped a worn – out dad tuck Tony's favorite blanket around him and get him comfortable on Gibbs' lap.

"That was a very brave thing for you to do, young man." Ducky started, and Gibbs shot him a lethal glare, but the older man ignored it and went on. "However, perhaps the next time you feel that there is some sort of threat to your father, you might discuss it with him to see if there could possibly be some other, less drastic options than running away. Or you might phone Uncle Tobias or even myself. Either one of us would be glad to lend a hand, or at least our expertise in the snow monster department. I assure you we would all take your concerns very seriously and do our best to find a solution that wouldn't include having to hide in the back yard in the dark of night. Here now, have some hot cocoa before it gets cold, it will warm your little tummy right up!"

"Thank you, Granpa Ducky." Tony offered quietly, taking a big gulp of cocoa and then yawning over his mug. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble for you and make Daddy mad."

"Of course you didn't, my dear boy, you were protecting someone you love very much, and no doubt you would have done it for any one of us. We are all very lucky to have someone as noble as you looking out for us." He rubbed Tony's leg soothingly, and the little boy sighed and leaned back into his father's chest. "All will be well in the morning, you will probably both sleep late and I will stop by to check on the both of you and bring you some breakfast."

Tony nodded and yawned again, and Gibbs set his mug of cocoa on the table and gathered the boy up close to him.

"Sounds great, Duck. Thanks a lot for coming by, hope you weren't already sleeping."

"Goodness no, I had just walked in the door and was making some tea, it was no problem, and it would never be." He took a sip out of his own mug and sat back to wait for his littlest patient to drift off in his father's protective arms. Within less than five minutes, Tony was sleeping again, and Gibbs smirked at the M.E sitting across from him.

"Slip 'im a Mickey, Duck?" he asked quietly.

"Just a very light child's sedative, enough to calm him so that he may sleep through the night. I daresay that part of his poor judgment came from too much cold-medicine and too little sleep. Not a good combination, especially when you add in a rather frightening children's Christmas story."

"Abby told him he looked like Rudolph and the Abominable Snowman was going to find him."

"Ah yes, well, any other time, he might not have been so vulnerable to the suggestion, but being as worn-down as he is, I'm sure it was quite easy for him to take it to heart. Please don't punish him for it, Jethro, he had only the most extraordinary intentions behind what he did."

"Scared the shit out of me, Duck. When I couldn't find him, and then when I found him lying out there in the snow...but yeah, can't punish him for something like that, it was.." Gibbs cradled Tony closer to his chest and kissed his warm forehead. "I don't think I can tell ya what it is to me," he continued, barely audible, his voice choking up. "Kid's got the heart of a lion. I just don't want it to get him hurt one day."

"Well, you will never be able to protect him from every evil, as you already know, but perhaps you can teach him how to defend and prepare himself for battle. He should never be discouraged from wanting to help his fellow man...perhaps just instructed in the ways of how to go about doing it without giving too much of himself. But let's not worry about it tonight. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and we want him to enjoy the night and the following day to the utmost." He took one last drink of cocoa and put the mug back on the tray. "I shall be going now, but please don't hesitate to call me if you think he might need my assistance. Otherwise, I'll be here as promised for brunch." And with that, he leaned over and planted a loving kiss on Tony's cheek. "Such an extraordinary child. Great things he will do, I am sure of it. Goodnight, Jethro." He squeezed Gibbs' shoulder and took up his medical bag, heading for the door, and tipped his hat in an adieu to the man on the couch as he walked out the door.

Gibbs nodded to him, and looked down at the boy in his arms. That was where Tony was going to stay for the night, too, even if they had to sleep on the couch. He stretched his legs out on the coffee table, and rubbed his hand gently over the back of Tony's head, breathing in his scent as he closed his eyes with a weary sigh. Ducky was right, he couldn't protect his boy from everything out there that might hurt him, but that didn't mean he sure as hell wasn't going to try with the last breath that he had in his body, whether Tony was three and a half or seventy and a half. If Gibbs was still alive, he would give him his all, just as Tony had done for him tonight. Gibbs let out a soft chuckle, imagining the look on Tobias Fornell's face when he told the tale of Tony and the 'bominal Snowman. He guessed it would be a lot like what Gibbs had felt, total horror mixed with immense pride. And then they would both go out and destroy that idiot Rudolph tape, and tell Tony that it had somehow gotten ruined. They just wouldn't tell him how it had gotten demolished under the wheels of Gibbs' Challenger.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: 'When Tony Met Jackson'**

It had been over two weeks since Jethro Gibbs had taken in the eighteen-month old child from a joint NCIS/FBI case involving the money-laundering and arms-dealing millionaire Anthony DiNozzo and his subsequent arrest. Everyone knew by now that Gibbs was hell-bent on keeping the boy that they had found abandoned at the the man's estate. Everyone but Jackson Gibbs, Jethro's father. And that fact kept Gibbs awake at night, but he just wasn't sure what to do about it. He and his dad had been on rather strained terms the last few years, and he couldn't begin to imagine the opinions the older man would have about him wanting to adopt and raise a baby boy.

Thing was, keeping it a secret from the man would be nearly impossible, and when Gibbs Senior found out he had been kept out of something this important in his son's life, it would make things even worse between them. Gibbs tossed and turned one more time, and then, deciding he would call his father in the morning, blew out a weary breath and let himself fall into an exhausted sleep.

Five hours later, he was awakened by quiet whimpering from the crib beside him, and he leaped to his feet, bringing blankets and pillows with him in his haste. Something was wrong with his boy, he never cried in the middle of the night now. Gibbs peered over the side of the crib and checked for whatever was making the child cry, and realized blearily that it wasn't the middle of the night – the sun was making it's way up past the trees, and it was past time for both of them to be up and about.

A change of diapers and a bowl of oatmeal later, Tony DiNozzo Junior was sitting happily in his new living room, surrounded by all manner of toys and books and music. Gibbs had found that low-key classical music calmed the boy, and he would entertain himself for hours at a time while Gibbs did chores or simply sat and watched him. This morning, Gibbs had a phone call to make, and it would be easier to make it in the dining room while he kept an eye on Tony while he talked. He took a deep, hopeful breath, and dialed the number that he'd had to look up, it had been so long since he'd last phoned the man. It rang several times, and he almost used it as an excuse to chicken out and hang up, when suddenly he heard his father's gruff voice at the other end.

"Hullo?"

"Uh – hi, Jack, it's Jethro."

There was a slight pause, and Gibbs was almost expecting his father to ask 'Jethro who?', but the older man found his voice again.

"LeRoy! How _are _you? Are you okay? Did you get shot or something?"

"No, dad, I'm fine, I just have somethin' I need to talk to you about."

"All -right, not sure if I can help, but I'll try. Must be serious for you to call me after all this time."

"Yeah, Jack, about that – look, I – I'm sorry. I let something stupid come between us and turned it into a major deal. Shouldn'ta waited so long to call."

"LeRoy, are you _dyin', _son?" Jackson Gibbs asked quietly, his voice grave.

"No, dad, nuthin' like that, I promise."

"Then what the hell _is _going on that you call me after all this time, and _apologize _to me?"

"Well, something weird happened on a joint FBI case a few weeks ago and, I need you to know about it."

"You kill someone ya shouldn't have?" The older man's voice was gentle and understanding. He knew that law enforcement didn't always favor the good guys, that the good guys were human and not super-heroes, and mistakes got made.

"No, Jack. Nothing like that, either." He hurried on, not wanting his father to keep asking questions that were irrelevant to what he needed to tell him. "There was a little boy abandoned at the estate of one of our suspects, I brought him home, and if everything goes according to plan, I'm going to adopt him. I know yer gonna say I'm too old to start another family, but I've made up my mind, no one's gonna change it, and I just thought you should know."

There was silence at the other end of the phone, and Gibbs cursed himself for being so stupid to think he needed to let this man in on something so extremely personal to him. The things that had been said the last time they talked had proven that.

"Well I'll be damned." came a quiet cuss from the ear piece. "How old is he?"

"Year and a half."

"And yer sure they're gonna let ya keep him."

"Yeah, pretty much. Just have to tie up some loose ends, but far as we know, it's gonna happen."

Gibbs wasn't sure if his father was doubting his word, or his sanity, but he didn't care now that he had told him what he intended to do.

"Well I'll be damned." the thoughtful curse came across the wires once more. "I'm gonna be a grandpa again."

Gibbs swallowed hard at the last sentence, so sure was he that his father would tell him what a damned fool and idiot he was, thinking he was going to start raising a little boy when he was already past forty years old. But he remembered how devastated Jack had been when Kelly and Shannon had passed, and maybe, just maybe, this was just what both he _and _his father needed to move forward with their lives.

"Yeah, Jack." Gibbs choked out. "And I think yer gonna really like him."

"So when do I get to meet the little skeeter?"

"Whenever you want. I can't leave the state with him yet, not till everything's official, but I'll get a plane ticket for ya and pick you up at the airport any time you're ready."

"You make the arrangements, LeRoy, I'll get myself to the airport. Just don't wait too long, or I might just get in my truck and drive down there myself."

"Don't be doing that, Jack. I'll call McGee today and have him find a good flight for ya then call ya back."

"That sounds just fine, son. I'll be waiting to hear from you." 

"Alright, Jack. Talk to you later."

He hung up, as did his father, neither one being bogged down with phone manners, and let out a long, deep breath that he didn't know he'd been holding. This changed things. This meant he was going to have to 'discuss' the past few years with his father, have a 'meaningful conversation' with the man as to why he had kept himself away and separate for so long. Well, such was his life now, and if letting his new son get to know his grandfather meant he had to make some uncomfortable adjustments in his attitude, then so be it. He dearly loved his father, even if they didn't always see eye to eye on everything, and didn't really want to think about depriving his son of knowing the exceptional man, or depriving his father of the bountiful love of the extraordinary little boy.

Gibbs pocketed the phone and went to watch his son playing with his farm animals and barn, and melted once again when the boy looked up at him and gifted him with a beaming smile, for no reason other than that he really liked the man who was already his best friend and soon to be his father.

Green eyes twinkled under long lashes, and Gibbs couldn't help imagine what a devastatingly handsome man his boy was going to become one day, and God, why did kids have to grow up so fast anyways? He leaned over and gently tweeked Tony's cheek, making the child giggle in turn.

"You know how much you like Grandpa Ducky, Bubba?"

Tony nodded enthusiastically, his smile still on high-beam.

"How would you like to have _another _grandpa, _besides _Grandpa Ducky, do you think you would like that?"

"Ya, Da!" he nodded again. "More gampas!"

"Good. Cause yer gonna get one. _My _dad is gonna come visit us and he can't wait to meet you! And I bet he's gonna love you as much as Grandpa Ducky loves ya. And you'll love him back. And that'll make him really happy."

"Goowd, Da. 'Nother Gampa comin' today?"

"No, not today, Bubby, but soon. I'll let ya know when."

Tony nodded agreeably and went back to running the plastic horse around the barnyard, and Gibbs tousled his curly head, laughing when Tony leaned into him for a hug. He would bet the deed to his house that the boy had never gotten enough hugs, if any at all, even from his own mother before she passed, and loved how Tony craved affection as much as Gibbs needed to share it with him. His entire team, in fact, showered the child with hugs and kisses, and he seemed to melt into them and absorb them like a parched flower gathering up sudden rainfall. He gathered Tony up into his arms and planted a raspberry on his stomach, making him shriek with laughter and drop the plastic toy animal. He was glad he'd decided to let go of his stubborn pride and call his father to let him know of his own impending fatherhood.

"Grandpa Jack is gonna be crazy about you, Bubba. You just wait and see. You'll get more hugs and raspberries and stories than you can imagine." He set the giggling boy down and reached for his phone. "You go back to your ranch there, I'm gonna call Uncle Tim and have him find a plane ride for Grandpa Jack. Then we'll clean up the other guest room for him. Then we'll have lunch."  
>"Yay, lunch!" Tony echoed, holding the horse up in the air.<p>

Gibbs laughed loudly at him, amused at his excitement over something as simple as soup and sandwich. Tony had hardly eaten anything when he had first come to stay with Gibbs, and worried the man to no end, as he was already underweight when they had found him. Ducky had helped the frantic guardian find a diet that interested the boy, and that, along with Tony finally feeling truly safe and protected, he'd started to put on some much needed fat and muscle. Now he looked forward to eating, and seemed to really enjoy whatever Gibbs cooked for him, making Gibbs feel like he was finally getting somewhere in his new venture.

"You think about what you want to eat while I talk to Uncle Tim, then. I'll see if we have it. And don't say pizza, we had that yesterday."

Tony giggled into his chest as he went back to racing the toy around the carpet/grass. He remembered that there were some pieces left over from that pizza, and exactly where they were in the refrigerator, and set his mouth for leftovers.

**To be continued...**


	38. Chapter 38 When Tony Met Jackson Part 2

**A/N: Thanks to all for reviews/favoriting/reading, etc. On occasion I get comments about Tony being too advanced for his age. I have to defend my writing by saying that some of my nieces/nephews were rather precocious when they were between the ages of one and two, and even more so the older they got. My two year old niece talked about 'condensation' on windows, and when she was three identified a sideways 'triangle' as a parallelogram. The other day when she was spinning in circles, she told her dad she was 'rotating'. She's four now. So, I think it just depends on the child and also on how much the parents involve them in other activities besides tv/movies. With Tony having uber smart Tim and Abby doting on him, plus the erudite Ducky, not to mention his own smart alecky dad, I think he would be precocious, not to mention that on the series itself, Tony has smarts/outside the box thinking that often gets put down by his teammates, or overlooked altogether.**

Not only had McGee been able to arrange a timely flight for Jackson Gibbs, he'd been able to swing a First Class seat for him, explaining the man's veteran status and that he was going to D.C to see his only grandson for the first time. One of Jackson's neighbors happily drove him to the airport and together they found the right terminal in plenty of time for the boarding. It was a short hop comparatively, but Jackson enjoyed the royal treatment and extra room to stretch while he was in the air. Gibbs met him at the gate, minus Tony, and Jackson huffed his disappointment at having to wait even longer to see the boy.

"Thought he'd be here with _you, _ LeRoy!" he complained after shaking hands with his son.

"Didn't wanna drag him through all the traffic and back again. Left him with Kate, they're both at my place." 

"Kate's the baby sitter?"

"Kate's my Senior Field Agent, but yeah, she's the baby sitter at the moment. Haven't had to pay for one yet, she and Abby fight over who's gonna watch him."

"Abby's yer girlfriend?"

"Abby's my lab tech."

"Got yer own lab _and _technician, LeRoy?"

"Nah, she works for the company. I'm just her favorite agent."

Jackson Gibbs nodded, but didn't really know what to make of what his son was telling him. He wasn't even sure about what his son _did _for a living, just that he was a civilian working for the Navy. He was pretty sure he'd find out what he wanted to know before he headed home. His son loaded his one suitcase into the trunk of the agency sedan and they headed back towards D.C, at Gibbs' usual breakneck speed, but Jackson didn't seem to even notice, as he was the one who had taught his son how to drive.

Back at Gibb's place, Kate Todd was trying everything she could to calm a sobbing Tony, who had woken up expecting to find his dad, and had found Aunt Katie instead. As fond of her as he was, he was

still fearful of being abandoned again, even more so by someone he'd become extremely attached to, and he let her know it in his wails and cries. She'd called in reinforcements when she realized it was beyond her capabilities to convince the little boy that he would see his 'da' again, and Abby and McGee came tearing into the living room, followed just a few minutes later by Ducky. The M.E, it turned out, had the most luck soothing Tony, and soon had him quieted down, sitting in a rocking chair and cooing to him as he hiccuped small sobs and whimpers.

"There, there, my bubby, all is well, you will see your Da very soon, I promise. Close your eyes, we'll rock for a while until he gets home."

Nearly asleep less than ten minutes later, Tony startled everyone by suddenly sitting up and climbing down from Ducky's lap, his little feet smacking on the hardwood that wasn't carpeted. A car door slammed, and he screeched and clapped, turning to them with wide, watery eyes.

"Da's home!" he informed them, before any of them even had a chance to figure out what was happening. Kate was the first to leap after him, but looking out the living room window on the way, saw that it was indeed her boss and Gibbs Senior.

"Bubba, how did you know it was your daddy?" she questioned as she gathered him up in her arms and went to open the door for the two men.

"Jus' knew." he answered her casually, arranging himself against her and wrapping an arm around her neck. "Gampa Jack's with him?"

"Yes, Gampa is with him."

While he squirmed excitedly and waited for them to come into the house, McGee eyed Ducky warily.

He didn't know if Gibbs had thought to ask the older Ducky how he felt about 'competition' for the little boy's affections, but he could see a sure sign of apprehension in the man's face, and a twinge of sadness went through him for the older man. The M.E had been a stalwart and bosom friend to Tony since the very night they discovered him abandoned in the guest house at his family's estate, and the little boy had taken to him like he had to Jethro and they had been best friends since. McGee saw the worry creeping into the older man's eyes, but he knew Ducky would never say a word about his feelings, thinking it would make him seem petty.

McGee took a moment to reach a hand out and touch the M.E.'s forearm. Ducky meant a great deal to him, too, and he wanted to do something to assure the man.

"You will always be his favorite, Ducky." he said, giving the M.E a meaningful look.

"Nothing will ever change that. He's excited because this is something new for him. But when Jack goes home, you'll still be here for him, just like you were a little while ago when we couldn't get him to settle and you held him and he calmed right down. You'll see. " Tim winked at him, and Ducky's eyes shown with love and gratitude for the younger man.

"Thank you, Timothy." he said quietly, his voice hoarse from emotion. "I have no right to want to keep him for myself, but...well, he has brought something to my life that I didn't think could be replaced since Mother passed." 

"I understand, Ducky. Believe me, I could never have imagined that night at the estate that I would ever get so attached to a little kid. But we get to see him all the time, so I guess it's only fair that Jackson gets to spend a couple days with him every once in a while." 

They stood up to go greet the new grandfather, and Abby came in beside McGee and gave him an unexpected hug, sniffling a bit as she held him.

"That was so sweet, Timmy. Gibbs would be proud of you. I'm proud of you. He really needed that, and I didn't even see it coming."

"Yeah, I guess I read his body language or something, I dunno."

"No, you put yourself in his place and understood exactly how you would feel if you were him. Nobody even thought of it until you did just now."

She gave him a peck on the cheek, then swiped away the lipstick with her thumb before pulling away from him, and turned to the crowd of people at the door. Tony was back in his dad's arms, his own arms wrapped tightly around Gibbs' neck and his face buried in his shoulder. Jackson Gibbs was looking on in awe at the obvious bond between his son and the little boy, and the easy way Gibbs soothed his hand over Tony's back and head while he talked to everyone at the same time, introducing his father and asking Kate if there was coffee ready for them to drink. He growled at her flippant response, which was something along the lines of _'what kind of idiots do you think we are, Boss'_ but she ignored him and kissed Tony's cheek before heading to the kitchen to get the desserts out of the refrigerator.

"Everyone head into the kitchen!" she called out behind her. "Coffee, tea and pie, plus a chocolate ice cream cake for Bubby."

Tony's arms whipped from around his father's neck, holding his hands on either side of Gibbs' face and looked the man square in the eye.

"Ice cream!" they both blurted at the same time, their eyes widening in excitement, and then they burst out into laughter, while Tony expertly swung himself up enough for Gibbs to hoist him onto his shoulders as they headed to the kitchen. Jackson Gibbs watched them with eyes full of moisture, and Abby squeezed him around the shoulders and planted a kiss on his cheek, too.

"They were meant for each other, Mr. Gibbs. The boss was meant to go to that estate and find him, there's no other explanation for it. And you're going to enjoy having him for a grandson as much as we enjoy having him for our bubby. He's the sweetest thing since peach pie, except when he's over-tired."

"Well, thanks for the warning, darlin'. And you call me Jackson, none of this Mr. Gibbs nonsense. Looks like you're all Jethro's family here anyways, no need for formalities."

"Great! You go grab a seat at the dining table, I'll bring you some coffee and pie. Gibbs will sit on one side of you, Bubby on the other. One of us will sit next to Bubby and help him out."

She had him seated and a cup of coffee in front of him before he could properly protest being waited

on, and he laughed to himself as he watched them all talking and fussing and laughing. Ducky sat himself across the table from him with a cup of hot tea, determined to find out about Jethro's mysterious father – what did he do for a living, where had he been in his life, and how did he feel about suddenly learning he was going to be a grandfather again? McGee was right, there was no reason to fear this jovial, laughing man, so seemingly different than he had expected him to be. Tony had enough love for them all, one more person wouldn't create a deficit for any of them. Besides, there was still Mike Franks to deal with whenever he found out about his Probie's latest 'project', and that would _really _be entertaining to observe. He watched Jackson Gibbs taking in the noise and laughter around him and gave the man a wink.

"Believe me, this is quiet for them. Wait until they have some _sugar _in them!"

**TBC...**


	39. Chapter 39

_**Velveteen Habit tells me you can all blame me posting this chapter before Hiatus Redux or Cabin Fever on her! Thanks, VH! Also, I actually like Hollis Mann while she was on the show, despite her Anal Annie tendencies..I always thought she was a decent match for Gibbs, but she served the plot of this well, so she got tossed under the bus on this one.**_

T. C. Fornell was just putting away the last of his cleaned breakfast dishes when his cell rang on the countertop.

"Fornell!" a voice barked into the phone. "Whatcha need, Gibbs?

"You doing anything?"

"Wha- well, no, nothing earth shaking, why?"

"Wondered if you'd take Bubba for a while."

There was a pause while Fornell contemplated his question.

"Hot date with the Colonel, Jethro? You usually don't go anywhere without him on the weekends."

"No, actually, I...I need you to talk to him for me."

Fornell heard the hesitation in Gibbs' voice and a tendril of fear curled through him.

"Everything alright, Jethro?"

"No, _nothing's _alright anymore and I don't know why, he won't _tell _me! I ask him and he just shuts down or deflects!"

"He's probably just jealous of the time you're spending with the Colonel."

"Well _yeah, _Tobias, I already _gathered _that; problem is, I can't get him to open up and talk to me about it!"

"And you think he might tell me something he won't tell his Da?"

"I'm desperate, Tobias, and _yes, _he might tell you something he thinks he's gonna get in trouble for telling _me! _If you tell him you'll keep it to yourself he may be willing to open up and tell you!"

"And so I lie to my godson and betray his trust!"

It was silent from Gibbs' end. He wasn't sure what to say to that minor detail.

Finally, a defeated sigh came over the line.

"Yeah, I know, Tobias, it's wrong and it sucks, but you must've noticed the change in him lately, he's like a -a -"

"A _pod _Bubba?"

"A what?"

"Pod Bubba. Replaced by...nevermind, I know what you're trying to say, I've noticed. Too quiet, too well-behaved, too weird."

"Gotta get to the bottom of this, Tobias. I really like Hollis, but if he's gonna be this upset over me dating her, I'm gonna have to rethink things."

"And every _other _woman you want to date? You can't let him run your love-life, Jethro - "

"Jesus, Toby, just – one damned crises at a time, huh? See what he has to say about it and I'll go from there."

"I don't like it, Jethro. You know what he means to me, I'm gonna kill you if he ends up mad at me for this."

"Don't know what to tell you, Tobias. If he can't tell you what's going on, then it goes to Ducky, and much as I love the guy, I don't know if he can keep an open mind about the situation."

"Not sure I can, either, Jethro. I'll give it a try, no guarantees, on him telling me or me not knockin' your lights out for putting me in the middle. I'll be by to pick him up in twenty minutes, we'll go to the beach and find some new shells for his collection."

"Thanks, Tobias. Wish I didn't have to ask you to do this, I just...I don't know what else to do. I want my boy back."

"Okay, Jethro, I'll do my best to figure out where he went. In the mean time, don't be ragging on him to spill his guts. If I can't get it out of him, maybe Grandpa Ducky can."

"Somebody's got to. Can't stand seeing him like this."

"Alright, as Abby would say, take a chill pill, I'll be over to get him asap."

"Thanks, Tobias, 'ppreciate it." Gibbs answered back quietly.

"Anything for the Bubba, Jethro."

Gibbs hung up and smiled to himself, taking a moment to appreciate just how many people held his son in high regard and considered themselves his protectors. The boy would never be lacking someone to cover his six when Gibbs himself couldn't. He pocketed the phone and made his way to the living room where his five year old was playing on the couch with a new art set his 'Aunt Katie' had given him last week. Tony had seen some of Kate's sketches of candid family moments, and was determined to learn how to do them himself. It turned out he had a pretty good eye and talent for drawing and sketching, and Kate had encouraged him by providing him with a not exactly cheap child's set of artist's mediums, including some charcoals, sketching pencils and pads, pastels, and youth water colors.

"Hey, Tony?"

The little boy immediately set aside his work and looked up expectantly at his dad.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"I have to go into work for a bit but Uncle Toby's gonna come pick you up and take you to the beach for a few hours. That sound like fun?"

Gibbs carefully watched his son's eyes to read his emotions. Lately he was ultra-sensitive to Tony's moods and feelings, trying his hardest to read what his son was both hiding and trying to tell him. Right now his eyes were showing what looked like worried calculation. He was weighing his options, but what those options were, Gibbs had no idea. But Tony's answer was bland and emotionless.

"Mmm. Yes, I haven't been to the beach in a while."

"Good. He'll be here to pick you up real soon, let's get your beach clothes on ya and some snacks in a bag."

As it turned out, they needn't have bothered, as Fornell had shown up with more than enough to get them through to lunch time, and he always treated the boy to a special lunch whenever he got the chance to spend time with him.

"We'll eat on the boardwalk like we always do, Jethro, don't worry about it!" he called out behind him as he carried Tony to the car and deposited him in the child's booster seat. Strapping him in, he touched noses with the little boy until they were looking cross-eyed at each other, and both of them giggled. Hmm, he seemed fine to Fornell, but still, Gibbs always knew what he was talking about when it came to his kid, and Fornell himself had noticed a change in the boy lately. Something big was eating at the normally high-spirited and good-natured child, and they needed to get to the bottom of it.

The beach was fairly uncrowded for a Saturday, and they found plenty of room to spread out and relax in the course sand. Tony had already gotten a golden tan from his earlier forays to the ocean, his family roots allowing him to tolerate the sun well enough to brown without burning and streak his dirty blond curls with even blonder highlights. A few freckles flecked his nose, which turned up a bit at the end, and all that together with his mossy green eyes caused many a female admirer to stop and compliment the boy while out in public, although Tony had no idea what it was they were talking about, nor did he really care. He was usually too anxious to get to wherever he and his dad were heading to – grocery shopping, a movie, a hardware/tool store like Sears or Home Depot, or even better, a book store. It was the one place his father didn't mind indulging him, letting him pick out two or three age appropriate books to take home and read over and over again.

Fornell applied the obligatory sunscreen to them both, and settled back in his beach chair to relax and close his eyes and hope that his young godson would eventually confide in him what was bothering him so. The usually bubbly child was quiet for an unusual amount of time, and Fornell finally sat up and looked over at him to scope him out. Tony was staring out into the ocean, seemingly mesmerized by the rolling waves, but Fornell knew his godson better than that. The boy was using all his energy to keep his emotions under wraps in hopes that they wouldn't betray him.

"Hey, bubby. Wanna talk about it?"

Tony shook his head.

"You sure? Uncle Toby's a good listener, you can tell him stuff you might not wanna tell your dad. I promise not to tell him if you don't want me to."

Fornell felt his guts clench at the blatant lie. As a federal agent he had dealt for years with hardened felons, mentally warped criminals, and tough as nails military brass What was so difficult about lying to a five year old?

Maybe he could devise a way to tell Gibbs without really telling him. He didn't have time to think about it however, as the baby face in front of him crumpled into a mask of misery.

"Ohhhh, bubby..." he moaned, hurrying to scoop the suddenly crying boy up into his arms and cradle him to his chest as his own Teflon heart cracked. "Tell me what's going on with you so I can help you! Your daddy is so worried about you!"

"I – I – he -" Hicupped sobs were all Tony could manage. "He – he loves the Colonel and she – she doesn't love me..."

"What? Are you sure? Bubby, _everybody _loves you, you're -"

"N-no, she doesn't like kids, she – she's nice to me in front of daddy, but – when he -when we're alone-"

An ice cold shock ran through Fornell's entire system as he could only imagine what a seasoned soldier, male or female, could do do to a five year old boy.

"What does she do to you, Tonio? Does she hurt you, cause I swear to God if she does.."

"She...she only ever pinches – tells me if I don't be quiet and behave daddy'll be mad at me and spank me."

"Bubby, do you misbehave when she's around to get your dad's attention?"

"Nooo!" Tony squeaked out defensively. "She-she doesn't like it when I do _anything! _I can't sing or whistle or even _talk! _She says I should be like one of her 'cruits and not do anything unless I ask pamission! Uncle Toby, I never needed pamission to do those things before, daddy and you and everybody always said you_ liked _ it when I did things like that!"

"We still do, Tonio." Fornell assured the little boy, greatly relieved that they had gotten to the crux of the problem and that it was not as horrible as it could have been.

He was jarred from his thoughts by a small, scared voice talking in his ear.

"Uncle Toby, can I come live with you?"

Fornell would have laughed had he not seen the tears in his godson's eyes and heard the barely audible, broken voice that asked the question.

"Why would you ask me that, Bubby?"

"The Colonel says that once she's my mom, she's going to to send me away to soldier school and I'll only get to come home on holidays and..I can't...I can't be away from my daddy for that long, not even a day!" His voice got so thin and tiny that Fornell could hardly make out the words. "Was I bad like the Colonel said, is that why my daddy likes her more than me now?"

"Oh, my bambino..." Fornell whispered hoarsely into his godson's velvety soft ear as the boy started to sob into his shoulder. He was going to have a session with that woman just as soon as he could get Tony straightened around. He enfolded the little boy tightly to his chest and stroked Tony's head with his free hand. "Baby, listen to me...Tony baby, listen to me. I'm your best uncle, aren't I, Tonio? I've always taken care of you and watched out for you, haven't I?"

When Tony didn't respond, he gave him a gentle shake.

"Haven't I?" he asked again.

Tony nodded, still heaving sobs into the man's shirt.

"Then you know that I will always protect you and never tell you anything that isn't the truth, don't you?"

Tony nodded again, seeming to calm as he concentrated on what Fornell was telling him.

"Your daddy would never, _ever _send you away, you got that? Not for any reason whatsoever."

"But she – she doesn't want me and...he likes her!"

"Yes, he _does _like her, but not anywhere near as much as he _loves _you! He would _never _ choose anyone over you, I swear by everything I've ever known! If he knew what she's been saying to you -"

"You can't tell him, he'll be mad!"

"Tony, I promise you he won't be mad at you. In fact he's really worried about you. He misses his Bubba-loo."

"But I didn't _go _anywhere!" Tony squeaked, trying to turn a little so that he could look up into his surrogate uncle's face.

Fornell smiled a little and gave Tony a quick squeeze.

"I mean he misses the way you used to act. He misses you singing and laughing and talking. You know he's not very good at any of that himself, he needs you around to fill in the quiet. He loves you more than I could ever explain to you, baby boy. Do you remember, a few years ago, when you were _re-e-aly_

little, your daddy and Aunt Kate found you by yourself and he brought you back to his job with him?"

"S-sort of...daddy talks about it sometimes...you gave me my blue rabbit then.."

Fornell laughed and tickled his godson under his armpit and made him giggle.

"You're right, I did! Well, none of us could believe it when we saw your daddy carrying you around with him just like you belonged to him. But he knew something that _we _didn't know that night. You _did _ belong to him, he was determined you were gonna be his boy no matter what anyone said, and he just kept working at it 'til you were. He wanted you more than anything in the world, and now you a_re _his world. There was just something about you that made him know he was meant to be your daddy. And somehow _you _seemed to know he was meant to be your daddy. Nobody could have explained it, or made any sense of it. It just was. When I saw you with him it was like you two had been together since the day you were born. Are you understanding what I'm tryin' to tell you, Tonio? He _chose _you. Out of all the things he could have done, he chose _you, _and fought hard to keep you. He could no more send you away or choose someone over you than he could yank his own heart out and still live. It's just not possible, and I'll prove it to you. We will go back home and talk to your daddy. You tell him what you told me, and I will stay right there with you the entire time and if he gets mad at you, we'll leave and you can come live with me. Is it a deal?"

"If – if he does and – I come live with you, can – can I still come stay with him sometimes?"

"Yes, bubby, I will bring you over to see him as often as you want. But I won't need to, he won't be mad at you, I pinky promise and cross my heart. He'll just tell Colonel Mann that she's not mommy material, and any woman who isn't mommy material for you is off his list."

"What's 'mommy material', Uncle Toby?"

"It just means that she has to be someone who will love you as much as your daddy loves you, baby. As much as I love you, and Abby loves you, and Uncle Tim and Aunt Kate and Grandpa Ducky and Grandpa Jack love you."

"And Grandpa Mike, too."

Fornell chuckled, thinking about the grizzled ex-boss of Gibbs who pretended to not want anything to do with being a 'grandpa', but who always insisted on seeing his 'little cowpoke' first thing he got to D.C, and always 'happened' to have a little trinket in his pocket for the kid.

"And Grandpa Mike, too. Someday maybe your daddy will find a gal like that, but if he doesn't, he'll get along, and be happy as a pig in slop as long as he's got you watching his six. Whataya say, bubby? You and I look for some shells for your collection before we leave and then go surprise your daddy at work and tell him what we talked about? Hmmph? Sound okay?"

"I guess so. Can we call him first, and not surprise him? I don't think he'll like this sort of surprise while he's at work."

Fornell laughed out loud and chucked the little boy under his chin.

"You are a very perceptive young man, my Tonio. Just like the night I first met you. You remember that you let _me _take you and hold you and rock you to sleep? And you didn't even know me? You knew that I was gonna be your Uncle Toby and you were gonna be my bambino and that I would always protect you. C'mon, let's go shelling and I'll call your dad while we're walking. Who knows, maybe he's home by now."

**TBC...**


	40. Chapter 40

_**Thanks to all who reviewed, favorited, followed, and pm'd. I admit I really miss writing in Bubba's universe, I need to find time for it more often. **_

Even though Fornell knew his surrogate nephew was occupied with find new seashells for his ever- increasing collection, he also knew that part of Tony's mind was on what was going to happen when they got back to the Gibbs residence and hashed things out with the man. Fornell had called Gibbs and cryptically told him that they were going to all talk when he and Tony got home, and had let Tony talk to Gibbs just for some proof that his dad was prepared to talk about something that might make him angry. Gibbs had kept his voice calm and mellow, and assured his son that whatever it was, he wasn't going to be angry at him or punish him for it. Tony wasn't so sure – though he had never had a reason to doubt his daddy in the past, this was new territory for him, and his entire experience with Hollis Mann had all but demolished his sense of equilibrium in the universe.

Fornell could feel the boy's anxiety, though Tony was doing his best to disguise it through chatter and questions. The Fibbie himself was vibrating to the point of smacking something he was so livid at what the boy had revealed to him about the supposedly perfect Hollis Mann. He gave them just enough time to let Gibbs get home from the Navy Yard before bundling Tony into the car and heading out. It wasn't until they were five minutes into the drive that he heard the boy sobbing quietly in his booster seat, and it took all of his will-power not to pull over and comfort him. The mess had to be dealt with, and now, and delaying things was only going to make things worse for all of them. He clenched his fingers around the steering wheel, and just a few streets away from Gibbs' place, glanced into the rear view mirror to find Tony sound asleep, exhausted from his ordeal of spilling his secret to him and the worried crying jag that ensued.

"It'll all be taken care of very soon, my little man." Fornell told him, even though he knew the child couldn't hear his words. "Your dad finds out what the fabulous Colonel has been doing to you, she's gonna be _real glad _she'd been trained in hand to hand combat."

Shutting the car off, he heaved a sigh, trying to gear himself up for the fireworks that were about to come. He had verbally signaled to Gibbs over the phone that the situation wasn't good, but it wasn't as bad as it could be, either, just so that the man wouldn't be cleaning his sniper rifle and handing in his resignation at the agency prematurely. When he looked up, he saw Gibbs in the window, and figured he might as well get on with it and get Tony out of the car. The truth of it was, he was glad to be there for both of them, as a confidant for Tony and buffer for Gibbs, and knew that it was going to end up better all around with him involved. He quietly opened the car's back door and started unbuckling a still sleeping Tony from his seat, and pulled him up into his arms.

"Come on, sweet boy, let's go face the music." he urged the now half awake child as he tucked Tony's head into his shoulder and strode purposefully to the house.

He was met at the door, and Gibbs gave him a concerned and questioning look.

"Cried himself to sleep on the way home." Fornell told him bluntly, reading his mind.

"Put 'im on the couch, he'll go back to sleep." Gibbs assured, looking at his son's heavy eyelids.

Fornell laid the groggy boy onto the old plaid couch, and Gibbs tossed an old quilt over him and gently tucked him in, stroking his hand over Tony's warm head.

"Let's talk in the kitchen." he said quietly, heading there once he knew Tony had drifted back off to sleep. He looked up to at Fornell to see heat in the man's face and his entire being went ice cold with fear.

"What the hell, Tobias, what's going on?"

"Tell me you haven't asked that sorry excuse for a woman to marry you!"

Gibbs' voice was hard and dangerous when he replied.

"What's she done to my boy?"

"You wanna know why he doesn't talk or sing or act like our Bubba anymore? She hurt him, Jethro, _pinched _him like some old school marm and told him if he didn't keep quiet and behave you'd be mad at him! And that's not the worst of it! She – told – him that once she was his mother, she was going to send him away to military school! And he would only get to come home for holidays! Geez-us, Jethro, she's been torturing him behind your back!"

"You're sure you got it right, Tobias? That you understood what he was telling you?"

"You're actually thinking he told me all that to _spite _her, Jethro? _Christ, _he's _five, _he's not old enough to make up something like that, where the hell would he even get the _idea _unless she had threatened him with it? We've both seen the marks on him, he told me he got them wrestling with McGee!"

Gibbs sighed hard, battling with the fact that a woman he had come to care deeply about had been abusing his son. On a scale of what he knew could happen to children, to what he knew had happened to Tony at DiNozzo Senior's hands, he knew it was relatively minor, but if it all proved to be true, there was nothing minor about it in his eyes. It was cruel and intentional and emotionally damaging, and he blamed himself for not realizing it was happening. He paced the kitchen like a wild animal, clenching and un-clenching his fists as his gut told him it was all true, that it had all taken place, right in under his supposed investigative nose.

"Jesus. What kind of father _am _I not to have seen what was going on with them? Why couldn't he have just _told _me, what did he think I would _do _to him?"

"Send him away to military school. He says the Colonel told him he should be like her 'cruits' and not say or do anything without 'pa-mission'. She has him scared shitless, Jethro, and for that _alone _I'd like to make sure her next posting is in Yemen. She shut him down, and hard, and that's something I never thought I would see happen with that boy. Thinks you like her more than him now 'cause he was bad."  
>Fornell's voice went cold and flat, and so low that Gibbs almost didn't hear him. "He asked if he could come live with me, Jethro. You remember that if you get the urge to pretend she's not as bad as this all sounds."<p>

Gibbs stopped his pacing and glared at the man through narrowed eyes.

"Yeah. That's how bad things are with him. Asked me if he came to live with me, could he still come visit you. You end this with her, Jethro, I don't care how, and I don't care if I _do _sound like a raving lunatic telling you to do it. _Nobody _treats my godson like that and gets away with it. And when the rest of his family finds out what's been happening, and they _will, _'cause they're all worried about him too – they will come after her with torches and pitchforks. Kate will find new painful ways to end her, Abby will hide her body, and McGee will hack into her files and give her a dishonorable discharge. Ducky will very charmingly lure her to wherever Kate decides is the best place to kill her. Send her on her way, Jethro, for everyone's sake. Or I _will _track down Trent Kort and call in that marker he owes me."

The stony look in Fornell's eyes told Gibbs the riled Fibbie was fairly serious in his threat to sic the wayward CIA agent on Colonel Mann.

"I'll take care of it, Tobias. First I'm going to do some of my own fact-finding, then I'll figure out how to deal with it."

"You _do _that, Jethro. But if I find out that she's hurt him again because of your dickin' around, I will sic Trent Kort on the both of you. I understand you wanting to be absolutely sure that you have the facts of the matter, but I'm telling you, if Bubba said she pinched and threatened him, then I believe him, I don't need anymore proof than that. You shouldn't, either. I'm going home. Tell Bubba I had a good time, and do _not in any way, shape or form, _give him even a hint that you're unhappy with him for tattling on Mann. I promised him you wouldn't be, and there's no reason you _should _be. Take your anger and frustration out on the person who deserves it."

Fornell headed for the door in a storm of anger and confusion. The situation was cut and dry, why was Gibbs waffling about it?

"Tobias." he heard Gibbs' quiet but insistent voice call out behind him and he stopped for a moment, and felt a firm hand on his shoulder. " I promise I'll make things right now that I know what's going on.

Thanks for getting him to tell you. I don't doubt him, I just...I wanted things to be different for me with Hollis. She's – she's a good match for me, she _gets _me like the others didn't, but – none of that matters if she can't accept Tony. It's a deal-breaker, and always will be, no matter who comes into my life. That said, thanks for having his six. I don't ever want you to be any different when it comes to protecting him. You think I've got my head in my ass when it comes to handling him, you gotta promise to yank it out and beat me with it."

Fornell softened his stance at Gibbs' words, knowing the man was nothing but sincere in his request, but he wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"Damn _straight _I will! Just about _killed _me seeing him cry, thinking she was gonna come between the two of you. Christ, Gibbs, who tells a _five _year old you tell you're gonna take away from his daddy and put him in a military school? Bubba of all people! You remember that when she starts trying to feed you some bullshit about discipline and how kids should behave! You couldn't get a better-behaved kid in all the military families in the world! Honest to God, I don't understand you guys sometimes.  
>"We're not all spit and polish, Tobias." Gibbs quietly defended himself. "A lot of us just wanted to serve our country and do something worthwhile with our lives. Doesn't make us all single-minded brass-polishers."<p>

Fornell calmed some more, hearing the truth in his friend's words, but his voice was still laced with hostility.

"Go make him some lunch, we never got any at the beach, he was too worked-up. Then sit down and talk to him about it, and for God sakes, keep your cool, if I find out from him he thought you were mad at him for all of this I will end you along with that abhorrent Colonel. I take my godfather responsibilities very seriously, Jethro, nobody messes with my bambino and doesn't suffer for it."

Gibbs kept his eyes locked on Fornell's, never shirking from the man's righteous fury. The Fibbie was the only friend in his generation that he knew would call him out on bad behavior, or in this instance, thinking with something other than his brain, and Gibbs was profoundly grateful for that fact, even now when Fornell was threatening him with God only knew what sort of retribution. He nodded wordlessly, smart enough not to say anything that would rile the man even further, then mumbled a quiet thank you to him.

"You're welcome, Jethro. And look, buddy, I don't fault you for trying to get a new start on a relationship, and up until now I thought she was a pretty good bet for you myself, but this changes everything. Maybe you oughta give them all some sort of Bubba litmus test or something after the first date, make sure you're both on the same page for what you want for him."

"Yeah." Gibbs muttered. "He tried telling me he didn't like her the first time he met her. I thought he was just jealous of her and trying to drive her away. Couldn't even tell me why he didn't like her, just that she gave him a bad feeling."

Fornell smiled knowingly.

"The old Gibbs gut hard at work even at the age of five. Next time listen to 'im. Kids know these things, they've got better intuition than we old fogies do, they just don't know how to put it into words."

"Yeah. I know. And you know I would never have put him through that if I'd known it was going on. Go on, go home and finish whatever you were doing. I'll keep you posted on what's going on."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll keep _myself _posted, I'll be arranging a play date with him in the very near future, which means you get this worked out pronto, cause I'll make sure he tells me every dirty detail of what happened." 

Gibbs smiled, picturing his friend and son discussing the sordid situation in their own serious way over ice cream sundays at the mall. It made him sad, and not a little angry, that Tony was afraid to tell him something so important for fear of punishment, but he had never discouraged the boy from coming to him with anything, and knew that it was Hollis Mann's deviousness and manipulations that had caused Tony to shut down and turn into an automaton. He would have to take a little time so he could calm down and be rational before confronting her. And he needed to talk to Tony and find out just exactly what had been going on and in a way that didn't let his anger and hurt bleed through. He headed out to the kitchen and made a pot of good strong brew, then poured a big mug of it and went to wait in his recliner for his son to wake up. It turned out he hadn't needed to wait very long, as Tony seemed to follow in his dad's footsteps in sensing when he was there, even in his sleep. It had been that way with them almost since day one, a connection that Gibbs accepted as normal for them, yet never really took for granted. He heard Tony stir, and put down his coffee mug.

"Daddy?"

Tony's voice was breathless as he made his way out from under the quilt to sit up and look for his dad in his usual spot. His hair stood up in spikey circles, and his eyes and little turned-up nose were still slightly red from his crying jag.

"Right here, baby." Gibbs assured him, smiling at the sight in front of him.

Tony jumped down and scrambled over to him and jumped on his lap, digging feet and body parts in where Gibbs was most vulnerable. The man grimaced but kept the yips of pain to himself as Tony wrapped his arms around his neck and looked him straight in the eye.

"Is Uncle Toby gone home?"

" 'bout half an hour ago. Why?"

The boy swallowed and looked away from his dad.

"He promised he'd stay here with me."

"You were sleeping. He had things to do. We can talk, I won't get mad."

"He – he told you what I told him?"

"You told him he could, didn't you?"

"I – I guess so. He said he had to, even though I didn't want him to."

"He was right. I needed to know, Bubba. Now what I need to know from _you _is if there's anything else you need to tell me. And no matter what it is, I won't be mad at you. I promise."

"What – what did he _tell _you?"

Gibbs had to take a deep breath and ground himself before repeating what Fornell had related to him about Colonel Hollis Mann. The fact that she was someone close to him didn't make him any less ready to go for her jugular than if it had been a stranger. In fact, it made him even angrier. He had trusted her, expected her to treat his son, or any child, with kindness and respect. Not do what she had done to Tony.

"He told me that you told _him _that Colonel Hollis pinched you to make you be quiet, and told you that she was going to make me send you to military school." 

By the hollow look on his son's face, Gibbs could tell there had been no intentional misdirection on Tony's part, no scheme to send the competition for his father's affections packing.

"She did, didn't she?" Gibbs asked quietly, not wanting to know the truth, yet not wanting to think his pride and joy would lie to him.

Tony started to sob, tears welling up in his eyes that made them shine like emeralds.

"Hey, hey, none of that, baby," Gibbs soothed, "you've got nothing to cry about, you haven't done anything wrong, she's the one who's been bad."

"I wanted to – to tell you, but – I was scared that she would – I – she said I couldn't tell you, that you'd send me away for sure for tat-tattling on you!"

He sniffed, his voice almost a whisper, and Gibbs wiped his shirt sleeve over his boy's eyes and then his nose for lack of a handy tissue.

"You don't have to worry about her anymore, baby, Daddy isn't going to be spending time with her after this."

"Buh – but you _like _her! She – she makes you happy!"

"Not anywhere near as happy as _you _do, pardner, and no one gets away with treating you like she did, Colonel or not." He gently grabbed Tony's chin in his hand to make sure the boy was looking right at him. "Bubba, I would never have let her keep doing that to you or saying those things to you if I had known. I want you to tell me you _know _that, that you know I had no idea what was happening between you two. I would never knowingly let anyone hurt you, ever, for any reason, and I will never, ever send you away for any reason. You're my boy, and I will always do whatever I can to protect you. And I'm sorry I didn't protect you from her but I just didn't know. So you have to promise me if anyone, anywhere is hurting you in any way, with words or pinches or anything that makes you unhappy, that you'll tell me right away so I can make them stop."

"Will – will you shoot them?" he sniffed hard again, and wiped his eyes and nose on his own sleeve this time.

"Well, no, buddy, I probably won't, but I _will _make them wish they'd never done it, and I won't get in trouble for it. And _you _won't get in trouble for _telling _me about it if I don't know it's happening. Do you promise me you'll do that? That if someone is hurting you like Colonel Mann did, that you'll tell daddy, or Uncle Toby, or one of the others, like Aunt Katie or Abby or Ducky or Uncle Tim? They'll know just what to do and help you."

"O – okay, Daddy." he sighed, the weight of the world lifting off his five year old shoulders. "I'm sorry she didn't like me, though..maybe if I had..."

"Tony, what did I just say about it not being your fault? Nothing you did was wrong, or bad, except not talking to me about it. If she doesn't like you the way you are, then _she _has a problem and she's not someone I want to have in our lives. I won't cry or be upset that she's not around anymore, but I'll be sad when I think of the things she did to you. She had no right to treat you like that, and I won't be going out with her anymore."

Gibbs watched his boy reading him, making sure that there was no anger or disappointment in his dad's face, and gave him a gentle bump on the butt with his knee.

"Come on, I think we talked enough for now, I think we got all the bases covered. Let's go make some dinner, Uncle Toby said you guys didn't eat anything at the beach."

Tony nodded wordlessly and took his dad's hand to help him off his lap, but not before giving the man a tight, emotional hug around the neck.

"I love you, daddy, I don't ever want to have to leave you, even to go away to school!"

Gibbs smiled, his throat constricting for a moment while he got himself together.

"You won't ever have to, except to daycare school like you do now." Gibbs didn't have it in him to tell the boy that soon he would have to go to regular school like other kids his age would. "Don't worry about it, okay? Neither one of us is going anywhere for a long time. And when you _do _go to school, you'll come home here every night, and tell me what you did, just like you do now. It won't be any different except you'll be learning and doing new things. How does that sound?"

"I guess it sounds okay. I would need to know more about it before I say yes."

"Good answer, Bubba. Always study all of your options before planning your strategy. Come on, let's go make some pisketti. We haven't had that in a while and it won't take long. All this talking makes me hungry. Then we'll call Uncle Toby and tell him everything's fine and he can stop worrying that I'm making you cry."

"I'm glad I had Uncle Toby to talk to, Daddy. I made him sad with what I told him, though."

"Yeah, I imagine you did, buddy. That's okay, he'll be fine once you call him. In fact, we'll call him now while I'm making the pasta. Here, you remember his speed dial number I taught you?"

"Number one."

"Yup. Go ahead, push the button, I'll get the water heating in the pan."

Tony scooted up onto his special kitchen booster seat and punched the button, waiting patiently while it rang.

"Fornell, who am I talkin' to?"

"It's me, Uncle Toby!"

"Aaayyy...my bambino..."

**TBC with poor Colonel Mann getting it from all sides.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter, sorry if I didn't get time to reply to all of your reviews for 'thank yous', I used to be really pretty good about that until I RAN OUT OF TIME CAUSE I HAD TO ACTUALLY WORK! BLAH! Anyways, hope you enjoy this one, too and thanks as always for reviewing, favoriting and following! Not beta'd, all boo boos are mine.**

Gibbs had said nothing to his extended 'family about the systematic cruelty inflicted on Tony by Colonel Hollis Mann when he came into work Monday morning, but they could tell by his demeanor that something was seriously off with him, and he knew it wouldn't be two minutes before one of them jumped to the conclusion that something was wrong with Tony for him to be that gruff and impatient without an actual case going. He didn't mind them knowing really, it was bound to come out sooner rather than later, and his pride had long ago been replaced by anger and incredulity at not only what adults could do to children, but that his famous gut had failed him regarding his most precious asset – his son.

Truth was, he was waiting until the eleventh hour to tell them, hopefully giving the Colonel a head start to escape the howling mob. It wasn't that he didn't believe she deserved it – he wasn't sure what he himself would do when he confronted the Colonel – it was just that he was honestly afraid of what they would do to her, and he wasn't sure he could handle the lawyers and complex legal issues that would ensue after bailing one or all of them out of jail.

He lost all hope when he looked up from his desktop to see the howling mob already gathered and waiting.

"When were you going to _tell _us, Gibbs?" Kate demanded, arms crossed and eyes hard on him.

"I just found out myself yesterday."

"Like, twenty four hours ago yesterday?" Abby sassed in.

"Let me guess. Uncle Toby told you."

"The Godfather knows better than to hide things from us!"

"Abby, I wasn't _hiding _anything, I just hadn't gotten a chance to talk to you guys. Besides, it' between the Colonel and me."

As soon as it was out of his mouth, Gibbs knew he had stuck his boot in it.

"I beg your pardon, Jethro." came Ducky's outraged voice from beside Kate. " I needn't tell you that after three and one half years of taking an active role in that boy's upbringing that anything concerning him being mistreated is between all of us!"

"Yes!" Abby piped up. "What _he _just said!"

"Unless you're actually _defending _the bih -" Kate added.

"Kate, that's enough! I'm not going to discuss this here in the bullpen, it may be between all of us, but it's not between us and the entire floor!"

"You're quite right, Jethro. Perhaps dinner at my place after work is in order. Mother is off on a jaunt to Myrtle Beach with the Senior Center. We'll have the place to ourselves."

"Fine, whatever. But don't any of you think that just because I've been dating her I'm not gonna call her big time on this. Gee-zus, he's my -"

Gibbs had to stop and collect himself after thinking about his son's tears and fears, and they all took a figurative, if not literal, step back at seeing him lose it.

"I'm not gonna see her anymore." he told them quietly. "But you let me handle it with her, if anyone's gonna go off half-cocked on her it's gonna be me! Can't afford to bail any of you guys out on attempted murder charges."

"Well actually, Boss," McGee finally joined in, "we probably wouldn't get the luxury of bail if we -"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at him. "Never mind. We'll let you handle it like you say. But if you need an alibi, we -"

"McGee..." Gibbs' voice was a warning.

The concerned uncle did and about face and went back to his desk, satisfied that his boss would make the woman who hurt his surrogate nephew pay. Gibbs hid a smirk behind his computer screen, appreciating the young agent's line of thinking, then looked back up at the others.

"Back to work, everybody. I already talked to Holl- to Colonel Mann, we're meeting for lunch, so I may be a little late getting back."

The rest of the angry mob in front of his desk broke up and went on their way, but not without scowls and growls and sotto voce mumbles from Kate and Abby. Gibbs was just as glad he couldn't hear what they were saying, he didn't want to know anything about it. He couldn't blame them, and was secretly extremely touched that they were all ready to throw caution to to the wind to defend his boy, but it had been this way with them all since the day they had found Tony abandoned at the DiNozzo estate. Still, he vowed to never take it for granted, and it tempered his need to put his fist through the nearest wall when he thought about the kid being convinced he would be shipped off to military school for the slightest infraction. Who knew what memories it stirred up in the boy's head concerning DiNozzo, Senior and his penchant for taking his volatile temper out on his own year old son.

Well, first things first, he needed to end his ill-fated run with Hollis Mann and now, and then he would have some quiet talks with Tony about all that was going through his head. If he needed to call on Fornell or Ducky to make Tony more comfortable talking, then so be it, but talk they would, until he knew his boy understood exactly where his place was in the hearts of his father and surrogate family members. After that, he would be very, very careful about who he let into their lives and what they were planning.

He rubbed his forehead, already half wrung-out from his confrontation with 'the mob', and knowing that he had another three hours before he could meet with his soon-to-be former favorite date. He had tried to arrange an earlier time, meeting for breakfast, but her schedule wouldn't allow the last-minute change of plans, so he was forced to wait for lunchtime, agitated and worried about what his team might be plotting in a bid to end her.

He wasted no time heading out as soon as eleven forty five finally rolled around, his body still vibrating with all that he wanted to do to her but couldn't, legally, anyways. He had chosen the park, a frequent meeting spot for them, hoping their voices couldn't be heard by strangers because he knew his would be getting carried away. She sat waiting for him on the blanket she usually brought for their quick lunch picnics, and when she saw him approaching, she grinned and stood up to greet him with a hug. Feeling his stiff body language, she backed off, looking him up and down to see if he had been injured in some way.

"Stop a speeding car with your body, Jethro?" she joked, waiting for his wry half-smile. She got none, not even a smirk, and she frowned now, reaching out to take his wrist in her hand. He flinched as if she was fire, and she suddenly saw the strange look in his eyes. He was angry about something, angrier than she had ever seen him about anything.

"Jethro, what is it? You're scaring me!"

He wanted to say, "Good, how does it feel?" but he knew that her fear and his son's fear were totally universes apart.

"Let's go sit, we need to talk."

She headed back to the blanket but he steered her away.

"No, over there in the gazebo. Bring your shit with you, we're not coming back to it."

Ohhh, he was plenty mad, and she had no idea who had made him that way, but she was really glad that it wasn't her.

She grabbed up the blanket and make-shift picnic bag, and followed, having to trot to catch up with his furious strides. Once they got into the privacy of the screened gazebo, he turned on her, his face a mask of emotions she had never seen on him wear all at one time. Hot fury, betrayal, loss, layered on top of something else she couldn't read. It made no sense, and she couldn't imagine what was happening with him. He wasn't drunk, she knew he never drank on the job – something, or someone had sent him off the deep end. One of his team screwed had screwed up, perhaps, or gotten injured in some way. She hoped she could calm him, coax him out of it, it wasn't something she ever wanted to see on him again.

"I want you to tell me that you didn't emotionally and physically abuse my son, but I know it's the truth, and if you tell me you didn't, it'll just be a lie."

"Jethro, what – how could you say such a thing, I would never hurt Tony!"

"Just what the hell do you consider 'hurting' him, Hollis? You don't call pinching him black and blue hurting him? Or threatening to send him to military school?"

The remaining color drained from her face, and she swallowed hard.

"Yeah. That's just what I thought." 

"I just wanted him to behave, Jethro, he's such a handful, and -"

"A handful? Singing and yabbering and running around is a _handful_? Just what do you consider well behaved? Unconscious? No, don't tell me, goose stepping parade drills at RIMA, standing at parade rest the rest of the time. Why didn't you just tell me he wasn't in your comfort zone?"

"You would have – dumped me. And I really, really like you, Jethro. Please, we can still work this out, there has to be a solution!"

"You're right, there is. We don't see each other anymore. And I would suggest you make yourself scarce around these parts as the rest of Bubba's family knows what you did."

"Hohnn, God.." she cursed, almost a whine. She had spent enough time around those besotted team members and Ducky to know that that she would be on the business end of their wrath, and all of them were capable in their own way of bringing her to ruin.

"I wish things had been different, Hollis, I really...I liked you too, could've maybe even – found myself getting serious with you, but no one hurts my baby and then gets near him again. I'm cutting you some slack cause you're a woman, and I know that you were born and raised in a military family and you didn't behave the way Tony does, that to you he's – annoying at the least, and on the road to juvenile detention at the worst. And because part of this is my fault, for not making sure exactly how you felt about having him around. But I swear to God if I ever find out you terrorized another kid like you did my boy I will turn every one of my team and Ducky loose on you, and I guarantee you won't know what the hell hit you or where it came from. And by the way, Tobias Fornell was the one that got Tony to tell him what was going on. You know he's the Godfather, and he told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn't deal with this situation and send you packing, he was going to sic Trent Kort on you. And he sure as hell wasn't kidding about it. Hell, Uncle Tim had plans to hack into your file and get you sent to Yemen. And you know the guy can do that in about three minutes. As for Abby and Kate? I bet you my next alimony payment they're still down in Abby's lab coming up with ways to quietly end you with no evidence. Am I making myself clear, Colonel? This didn't have to end this way, but you took things into your own hands, and you hurt my boy, and that makes more than just myself your enemy. You're a smart woman, Holl. Not sure why you couldn't see the consequences of your actions when you started your torture program. Go on. Go back to work. We're done. Don't come by, don't call, don't email. Just don't. Buy a clue and find a guy who doesn't have kids next time around."

"I'm sorry, Jethro." she whispered, barely audible.

"That's too bad, Colonel. I wish you could be as sorry as I am for putting Tony through what you did to him. It's gonna take a long time to get him to trust again, and he was just getting back to where he did.

Hopefully he can bounce back and forget what you put him through. I won't, though. Ever. Bye, Colonel."

He turned and walked away from her, not interested in the anguished look on her face or the tears in her eyes. She probably truly was regretful of what she had done, but it made no difference now, the damage was done, too all of them, and they all had to move on. He didn't really care now where or what she moved on to, he had Daddy work to do, and he didn't have time to look back and pine away for something that couldn't ever be. Walking back to the Navy Yard, he saw a familiar face behind a newspaper, its body sitting on a bench near Gibbs' 'caffeine dealer'.

"Mr. Kort. How's it going?"

"It's going well if what I think just happened actually happened."

"It did. You can tell the Godfather you still owe him that marker." He reached for his wallet and made to pay for two cups of coffee, but Kort stilled his hand.

"Here, let me. A little something for doing what must have been pretty difficult."

"Easy as pie, Kort. She hurt my baby. You know what happened to the last people that did that."

Kort smiled and nodded.

"DiNozzo Senior and Ari Haswari. Shot full of holes and six feet under. Good call, by the way."

"Yeah. I sleep very well at night with them not breathing anymore." He handed the second cup of coffee to Kort. "For the Godfather. Tell him dinner's at Ducky's, eighteen thirty, and to not be late."

Kort took the cup and gave the lead agent a half-assed two fingered salute and disappeared into the lunch crowd on the sidewalk, and Gibbs headed back to the bullpen, a small part of his heart a bit heavy from the loss of a woman he thought he knew, but the rest of it lighter now that he could tell Tony it was time to laugh and sing and whistle again.

**TBC..epilogue at Ducky's place.**


End file.
